Endless Love

David Elliot (Alex Pettyfer, The Butler) opines about passionate idylls and trades in grand romantic gestures; his affection for Jade Butterfield (Gabriella Wilde, Carrie), the reserved, shy schoolmate he only befriends upon graduation, is predicated upon both. Their words and deeds, couched in the valuing of integrity in relationships, sit in stark contrast to their simple characterisations. What they say and do is given substance and purpose, even if only by their feelings for each other. Who they are, as star-crossed lovers in the flourishes of feverish adoration, is painted with the broadest of strokes.

Endless Love, writer/director Shana Feste’s (Country Strong) second adaptation of Scott Spencer’s novel after the 1981 film of the same name, can’t avoid its strength in statement and flimsiness in detail – nor does it try to. The 2014 version wants nothing more than to render its narrative as an epic romance, with added depth surplus to its primary requirements. What matters are the clichés that the genre trades upon, the boy-meets-girl tale, the pairing that transcends the wrong side of the tracks, and the battle between fated teen paramours and an overprotective parent.

When David and Jade connect over an illicit spin in a fast car, her stern father Hugh (Bruce Greenwood, Star Trek into Darkness) is less than impressed. His distrust lingers as their love blossoms; however, the remainder of Jade’s family – stifled mother Anne (Joely Richardson, Thanks for Sharing) and rebellious brother Keith (Rhys Wakefield, The Purge) – are instantly taken by David’s presence. In a home awash with unhappiness for too long, David brings hope, but Hugh’s disapproval doesn’t dissipate. Of course, his efforts to keep the duo apart only drives David and Jade closer together.

As co-written by Joshua Safran (TV’s Smash), the current iteration of Endless Love reworks its predecessor to play as wish fulfilment, nothing more and nothing less. Darker leanings litter the lust and longing, but the film’s standing as a standard love story is never in question – and without the focus on obsession. Indeed, both the fixation and the physicality are watered down to the point of surprising modesty, with suggestion triumphing over action. Montages, pitched to emotive tunes, attempt to fill in the gaps. Dialogue exists as declarations, threats and complaints. Warmly-lit imagery offers an attractive canvas, yet can’t shake the air of emptiness.

The cast goes along for the ride, colouring within the lines of the ample limitations, but acquitting themselves adequately in the process. Pettyfer and Wilde’s match-up shows enough chemistry to sell their characters’ affinity, and the slightness of the material may just be to their otherwise attractive but non-descript advantage. Though Greenwood and Richardson prove overshadowing in their portrayals, the supports stick to the stereotypes afforded them, each given their one big moment. Of course, the film is barely concerned with their performances, nor with their competent but unremarkable surroundings; all that matters is the feeling and the message, both easy, overt and exactly as they mean to be. In Endless Love, the title says everything, as a sweeping romance is promised and perfunctorily delivered.

Rating: 2 ½ stars out of 5         

Rated: M