Fans of romantic drama and stories intercepted across timelines will surely like this movie. Based on the novel of the same name by Jojo Moyes, this film essentially focuses on taking chances in love and this theme is presented across two time periods till the end.
The film begins in a fictional British newspaper as our present day protagonist- Ellie Haworth is coping up after a bad heartbreak and will like to make good with her colleagues by taking up the task of writing a feature on a revered ex-colleague. While doing so, she comes across the archivist- Rory and they accidentally find secret love letters by someone called J in the erstwhile colleague’s documents. For someone suffering heartaches in one’s life, these handwritten letters talking about forever love are absolutely fascinating objects.
And from there on, begins their search of finding J & B – two lovers who have written these letters during the 1960s. who were these people? And what happened to them? And are they still around? Both Ellie and Rory embark on this adventure of finding the missing pieces of this puzzle and answers to all these questions.
Viewers also join in their eventful journey and soon we discover that Jennifer (J) and Anthony (B) first crossed paths in the sixties during a summer vacation in the French Riviera. Jennifer, then married to her husband, Lawrence hosts Anthony for a dinner party and they get acquainted rather well. Some amazing sunsets and picturesque picnics later, we have our chief protagonist pair falling madly in love with each other.
But all is not well when there are other things to consider like husband, social status and family. These concerns are mainly bothering Jennifer rather than Anthony who would like her to quit everything and join him in New York. Well, what choice does Jennifer make and how this story unfolds is actually worth watching on the screen through prisms of some brilliant flashbacks.
Without giving away much, we can safely say the story moves towards happy ending for both the couples but not without hurdles.
Although the story trades a familiar line and there are hardly any surprises here, still the present day part of the main characters looks a bit stretched. There might be few gaps in logic here and there for the affair in 1960s, however that is wonderfully compensated by the crackling chemistry of the lead paid. It’s imperative to mention the superb portrayal of a conflicting character by Shailene Woodley who gets good support from her co-star Callum Turner who fills warmth into the role of Anthony. This connection is somehow missing from the current pair and their storyline looks a bit rushed.
All in all, do watch it for a nice romantic storyline having a twist and definitely for the gorgeous presentation of the swinging sixties.