The Choice is the kind of film where if the partner is twenty minutes late for a dinner date, the other one gets so upset that she ends up being knocked down a car on her way back home. No, this isn’t a spoiler if you have seen the over explicit trailer – that is almost like a miniature version of the movie, giving us snatches in chronological order. Why a happily married couple with kids lead to a situation such as this is beyond basic human understanding. Who are these people? Do they exist? Even if they do, there lives aren’t interesting enough to write books or make films on.
Travis Parker (Benjamin Walker) and Gabby Holland(Teresa Palmer) are neighbours in an idyllic lake-side town in North Carolina. Gabby’s just moved in. They both have dogs that have sex before their owners do. Of course, their love story begins with a fight that has no real justification. Gabby holds Travis responsible for letting his dog impregnate her’s. There are many such things that the characters do, leaving you frustrated at their daftness and their limited, complacent worldview. Everything is prettified and the sun-kissed boat-rides and the sitting under star-studded skies are meant to take us to the realm of the metaphysical.
It’s one thing if a film wants to be a dumb rom-com. There is at least some consolation in its unpretentiousness. But no, there is cancer, the ‘choices’ one make, death, life beyond and what not. If the film’s sappy romance is not cringe-worthy enough, its faux-philosophical tones are worse – the catch line, “Let your Heart decide”, is a give away of what a harrowing experience the film is going to be. This may sound all too harsh and the genre may have its appeal to a section of the audience. It’s the kind of stuff you might have sort of accidentally enjoyed at a pre-teen phase of your life but now only have contempt for simply because you have evolved. If you have a choice to make this weekend at the movies, stay away from this one.
