One Day (2011)
Certified: 14
Duration: 108 minutes
Directed by: Lone Scherfig
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Romola Garai, Rafe Spall, Ken Stott, Patricia Clarkson, Jodie Whittaker, Jamie Sives, Georgia King, Matt Berry, Matthew Beard
KRS release
One Day is that rare romantic comedy that aspires to be something different.
Based on David Nicholls’s novel, the film has its foundations held firmly by the chemistry between a very cute Anne Hathaway and an earnest Jim Sturgess. Under the direction of Lone Scherfig who has recently delivered the successful An Education, One Day is a nice mix of romance, chuckles, tears and nostalgia. The director manages to turn a film that could have easily been a soppy, clichéd outing into a multi-layered experience.
During graduation night, Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dex (Jim Sturgess) come on the verge of having sex but then opt to just remain very good friends. The film follows them through the years, as they meet on the same day every year to tell each other about their lives.
Thus we get to learn of Dex’s career fluctuations from teacher to TV show host to business entrepreneur. We also see how he has to deal with his parents (Patricia Clarkson, Ken Stott) and the women that he ends up with – model Suki (Georgia King) and Sylvie (Romola Garai) whom he marries and has a baby with.
Emma’s quest to be a poet is not very successful and instead ends up a waitress. She has a relationship with a stand-up comedian named Ian (Rafe Spall). However, Dex is always in her thoughts even as she gets involved with musician Jean-Pierre (Sebastian Dupuis).
At some point the two will have to reconcile their feelings for one other and come to terms with themselves and each other.
The two main characters are totally different outwardly: Emma is a working class hero (heroine in this case!) while Dex belongs to the privileged classes.
Their characters are different: she is shy, mousey and lacks confidence – all aspects that Anne Hathaway manages to adopt with the simple use of spectacles. Here she delivers a performance that is much more likable than what she offered in the recent Love and Other Drugs. Her North England accent is also nothing to scoff at.
On the other hand, Jim Sturgess oozes confidence and charisma. His Dex is everything that Emma is not but we seemingly imagine the two together from the start.
The changes that Dex goes through are quite drastic and Mr Sturgess rises to the occasion. It’s only the couple themselves who do not seem to admit this to themselves.
The film follows about two decades’ worth of July 15s, their chosen meeting day and we not only see the protagonist’s characters evolve, but also society around them.
This is a film about friendship first and love later. The once-a-year-meeting is an obvious plot device that surprisingly works very well, enough to give the film an emotional edge and a deep resonance to it.
It’s very interesting to see how the both lives wind and ramble through expected and unexpected turns, pitfalls and climaxes.
It makes one nostalgic about decisions taken, people met and opportunities lost and wasted.