If you visit your favourite restaurant you know exactly what you're letting yourself in for. You scarcely have to open a menu, simply ordering from memory and waiting for the same delicious, unhealthy meal with extra chips to keep you in your comfort zone.
YOUNG LOVE. Alex Pettyfer as David and Gabriella Wilde as Jade in ‘Endless Love’. Picture: Quantrell D. Colbert.
The same applies to this take-away teen movie with its predictable plot and low age restriction. Heaven help any parent who has to accompany a child under 10 to this schmaltzy love story, as parents, especially in the form of father-from-hell Bruce Greenwood, spoil many intended sex scenes.
Most adults in this film are boring spoilsports – frowning, stupid nerds straight from the famous Zits cartoon, denying others the freedom of exploring love and, without much motivation, putting obstacles in their paths to fulfilment.
A poor little rich girl falls in love with a wayward, handsome hunk who loves taking off his shirt and living outside society’s stifling adult norms.
Alex Pettyfer provides enough six-pack eye candy to make any teenage girl forget about her cellphone for a few seconds. His rich lover is played by Gabriella Wilde, who gave a decent performance in the remake of Carrie. But here she isn’t given enough to work with and struggles to breathe life into a shallow character.
Once the two star-crossed lo-vers meet you know exactly how it will end. This is a remake of the Brooke Shields/Franco Zeffirelli tearjerker of the same name in which Tom Cruise made his debut in a small role in 1981 – featuring beautiful people suffering in marvellous narcissistic close-ups, as cool music provides a comfortable background for glamorous teenage troubles.
The film is pretty, superficially enjoyable and comfortably attractive enough for any red-blooded teenager bored stiff with the long weekend – but it may prove nauseating to anyone older than 30.
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