REVIEW: The Longest Ride

THE LONGEST RIDE

RELEASED: Out Now

RATED: PG-13

RATING: ****/*****

PREMISE: (via IMDB) Based on the bestselling novel by master storyteller Nicholas Sparks, THE LONGEST RIDE centers on the star-crossed love affair between Luke, a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia, a college student who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City's art world. As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, Sophia and Luke make an unexpected and fateful connection with Ira, whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife deeply inspire the young couple. Spanning generations and two intertwining love stories, THE LONGEST RIDE explores the challenges and infinite rewards of enduring love.

 

THE PRO'S: A beautiful love story from both decades it's set in. Excellent acting. An engaging, and interesting story. Probably the strongest Sparks story I've seen yet. 

THE CON'S: Some minor cliches that it could have done without.

THE REVIEW: 

I have to be honest, I have never read one of Sparks books. But I have found all three movies I've seen by him (The Lucky One, Safe Haven, and this) enjoyable. So I am not entirely surprised to say that I really find The Longest Ride to be a great, if not somewhat-sad story.

The film tells two different stories. That of professional bull rider, Luke, who is in the midst of a comeback, and Sophia, a college student preparing to go to New York as they find love in each other. And that of Ira, a Jewish man before and after WWII who meets and falls in love with Ruth, the new girl in town, and an art lover. Both stories intersect when Sophia and Luke save an aging Ira from a car crash, and a bond between Sophia and Ira forms.

What I find most interesting about this movie is how seamlessly it intertwines the stories. Neither of them is rushed, rather, it takes its time to tell each one to its fullest. I personally found the story of Ira and Ruth the most engaging, as it was very interesting and the twists were great. But that is not to downplay Sophia and Luke's story, which, while not as touching, was very engaging and kept my interest constantly.

This is very much helped by the cast of the movie. Both Brittany Robertson and Scott Eastwood are extremely promising young actors that sold me on the story from the get-go. I never once felt with either of them that I was watching film characters, they really pulled me in. The same goes for Alan Alda, who plays older Ira, and his younger self, played by Jack Huston. And the love of his life, Ruth, who is played by Oona Chaplin. All four carry the movie so perfectly and sell their loves so well that you can't help but be invested. 

To that end, I feel like the characters were another strong point of the film. Not just because of the actors, but because of how human they all feel. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, and not once does the movie desert those to further it's story. It does a fantastic job of keeping the characters human, something I think each of his movies has actually managed to do very well.

The only complaint I have with the film is a few of the cliches it held. I can't say them without spoilers, but I will say for those who've seen it that I in no way mean the (AWESOME) ending. But sprinkled throughout were some cliches that I overall thought the movie could have done without. So therefore, this is my (albeit minor) complaint.

So...

 

IN CONCLUSION:
 

It's not the deepest love story out there, or most original. But The Longest Ride is an engaging, heartwarming, and well-written love story that managed to warm my heart. I definitely recommend it to everyone, Sparks fan or not.

 

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED