That’s the dilemma facing Leo (Channing Tatum) after his wife Paige (Rachel McAdams) recovers from a serious brain trauma wiping out all memories of their marriage in “The Vow.”

The film, loosely based on a true story, tells the standard tale of a young couple who meet, fall in love, get married to live their happily ever after until one of them falls out of love. It’s just not in the way you expect.

When Paige wakes up from a medically induced coma following a car accident, she thinks she is currently engaged to ex-boyfriend Jeremy (Scott Speedman), still in law school, and is in close contact with her estranged parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange). Paige resumes her old life, the one she lived before meeting Leo and becoming a completely different person.

So artsy Leo hardly seems her type, and her parents seize the opportunity to re-enter her life again. Can Leo win back the heart of the love of his life?

What happens when your loved one loses the last five years of her memory and can’t remember you at all? Well, it probably wouldn’t go down exactly the way it did in this film, but director Michael Sucsy does a sweet job trying.

I know this is only “based on” true events, and whenever that pops up in the trailer, it means the scriptwriter has taken an idea from a true story and used plenty of creative license. I was very much in love with “The Vow” until it took an unexpected turn midway through. Paige becomes extremely whiny and annoying after starting out as likable, fun, and relatable! I just couldn’t sympathize with her anymore.

One minute she wants to be with Leo, then the next she’s fighting her feelings for ex-fiance. This story’s been said and done and frankly, we didn’t need all this mixed feeling nonsense in the middle. We should’ve seen more of Leo and Paige’s back story and struggles the couple face while trying to reconstruct her memories. It would’ve been much more of a realistic touch than how the film eventually plays out.

McAdams is a talented young actress, but don’t expect to see her charismatic character from “The Notebook” here. She does what she can with the part; I just didn’t agree with the scriptwriter’s wishy-washy tone.

As for Tatum, the handsome star certainly has impressed me this year kicking butt (literally) in Soderbergh’s “Haywire” and coming off strong with his film performance. If nothing else, it’s he who really carries the heartfelt tale all the way to the end.

“The Vow” isn’t this year’s best romantic drama or the Valentine’s Day film girls were hoping for, but Sucsy tells us an unusual story in a very pleasant and watchable way. If only certain subplots were left out altogether, the film could’ve been remarkable to watch versus just mediocre.

The new film shows Carana easily translating her MMA fighting chops to the big screen, and all that scrapping clearly didn’t mar her lovely features. But director Steven Soderbergh can’t leverage Carano’s unique screen presence, nor a cast far too good for such a rote spy caper.

“Haywire” marks Soderbergh’s second consecutive genre outing, and it’s clear he’s ill-suited for pulp. Last year’s “Contagion” couldn’t rouse our senses despite the fictional death of millions. Now, with “Haywire,” the soon-to-retire auteur wastes the debut of an electric lead.

Carano stars as Mallory, a private government contractor who takes assignments nations don’t want to claim as their own. The film’s electric opening finds her squaring off with a fellow agent (Channing Tatum, looking suitably hung over) in a diner and fleeing the scene in a stranger’s sports car.

It’s a grand introduction to Carano, who survives a splash of steaming coffee to the face and keeps on kicking.

We then learn why the diner dustup took place, a not so subtle reminder than too many films today feel the need to use flashbacks to tell their tales. Mallory and Tatum’s character previously teamed up to protect a Chinese dissident, but when Mallory takes a new assignment pairing her with an Irish agent (Michael Fassbender), nothing goes according to plan.

She’s been double crossed, and she isn’t sure if the man responsible is her U.S. liaison (Michael Douglas), her assigning agent (Ewan McGregor) or the slick client (Antonio Banderas) who set up the dissident plot. Or perhaps someone else shares the blame for her betrayal?

“Haywire” can’t make us sweat over the details of the plan, nor do we get to know Mallory beyond her stunning physical tools. She’s a dynamo, no doubt, but every time the film reaches for a character-defining moment, the story withdraws and denies us that simple pleasure.

Carano is no Olivier, or even Lundgren, for that matter. She’s still a bit stiff delivering her lines, but by action star standards she’s no embarrassment. And any quibbles vanish when Mallory starts throwing her fists and feet. She’s a dynamo, and Soderbergh wisely shoots her with a very still camera so we don’t miss a punch. Fellow female action stars like Angelina Jolie rarely look capable of their physical stunts. Not only does Carano bring a fierce physicality to her role – she’s got curves, and muscle – the film’s stunt coordinator makes her use gravity to her advantage.

When Mallory strikes, she’ll use a nearby wall or table to pounce from on high. That’s the kind of brainy action sequences too rarely considered in films today. But we’re forced to wait … and wait … for those visceral actions scenes. Bravo to Soderbergh for attempting to accumulate tension along the way, but it simply doesn’t materialize as planned.

“Haywire” defines fast forward theater. You’ll wish you could zap the slower moments just to get to Carano’s next display of brute force.

The result? “Valentine’s Day” lacked the sugary sweetness we demand from romantic fare.

For 2012’s most romantic season, the leads from “The Notebook” and “Dear John” are hoping to pry open our tear ducts. “The Vow,” hitting theaters Feb. 10, casts Rachel McAdams as a woman who loses her memory in a car accident and can’t remember her own husband (Channing Tatum).

The trailer hits the expected notes – the frustration, endless passion and possible salvation of a couple in distress. The stars as as purty as a picture, although Tatum is working so often these days (“The Vow” is the first of four movies he has in the can for 2012) he could be heading for overexposure alerts.

It’s shame we don’t see more in the trailer of actor Scott Speedman, the “Felicity” standout cast here as the “other man” potentially vying for the attentions of McAdams’ character. He’s been picking some sleepers of late, from the woefully underrated “Barney’s Version” to a nasty 2010 thriller “Good Neighbors.”

Hollywood’s rom-com track record has been abysmal in recent years, although its “rom-drams” like “Love and Other Drugs” fare far better. Let’s just hope “The Vow’s” resolution doesn’t involve a second bonk on the head that sets the character’s memory back to normal. That only works on ’60s sitcoms and shabby films like Liam Neeson’s “Unknown.”

Sometimes movie lovers actually want social interaction – the right kind, at least. Enter Constellation TV, a new online service which extends the social media realm to movie watching.

The site, launched the first week of November, is more than another streaming platform. Constellation TV allows directors, including  Allison Anders (“Border Radio”), to showcase their older films while promoting new projects. Rising stars like Channing Tatum can participate in post-screening web cam chats to pump up interest in their films. Others will use the site to raise money for upcoming projects.

Wanna pick the brain of writer/director Whit Stillman? Check out Constellation TV’s special showing of his 1990 film debut “Metropolitan” at 8 p.m. EST Jan. 12 and previewing his next feature, “Damsels in Distress,” his first new film in 14 years.

The site also lets actors with pet causes – like singer Jack Johnson’s concerns over plastic bags – to share their passions with the public via documentaries like “Bag It.”

Or, you can simply watch a movie and chat about the experience with some like-minded peers.

The site operates as an online movie theater, but its primary appeal lies in its social interaction qualities. If they’re feeling social, they can invite friends to watch along with them. That helps viewers from various communities, be it zombie fans or even Irish dancers, to rally around a particular film.

Not every film comes with a compelling host or commentary. Audiences can purchase tickets to watch a scheduled film event or watch it immediately without the social bells and whistles.

Lawler says the technical challenges behind the site have kept Constellation TV’s team busy, but he’s eager to finalize partnership deals in 2012 that will expand the site’s reach. One way he hopes to do that is to team up with prominent bloggers to build “curated series” of movie events.

The company doesn’t conflict directly with theaters, opting to show movies like 2011’s “The Eagle” – featuring Tatum’s Q&A – late in the film’s release window.

So far, documentaries have clicked with Constellation TV’s viewers, as have independent films. But Lawler hopes the site doesn’t become simply an “indie platform exclusively.”

He followed the “Tower Heist” video on demand imbroglio closely, and acknowledges why movie theaters might fear the change VOD technology represents. He also thinks it’s “inevitable” for more theatrical content to make its way into our living rooms and laptops.

“We’re in a world where it’s very easy to watch what you want on whatever device you want to do that on,” he says.

Just ask the folks who gave us “The A-Team,” the wannabe blockbuster that made us pity the fools who sank good money into it. Now, the creatively-impaired film industry is about to give us “21 Jump Street,” the film version of the TV show which gave Johnny Depp his first taste of fame.

The new film, hitting theaters Spring 2012, stars a thinner Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as detectives working undercover in high school to sniff out a drug ring.

Depp will have a cameo in the film, a belated thank you for the property which launched his career. We don’t see Depp in the trailer, nor do we get many laughs from the two-plus minute tease.

Tatum is hardly the first actor who comes to mind when you think “action comedy,” although he showed some welcome self-awareness playing the stud Winona Ryder hooks up with in “The Dilemma.” Hill’s comic chops are fare more reliable, although some of his best work relies on the presence of uber-comedy producer Judd Apatow.

“21 Jump Street” still could click if the film shrewdly milks the fact that both detectives look a decade younger than their high school “peers.” For a movie with franchise written all over it, the first trailer feels a bit played out – already.

Jonathan grew up in a Queens housing project where he earned the nickname “Milk” for being the only white kid surrounded by minorities. He was stuck living there with his impoverished grandmother because his cop father was killed in the line of duty. Surrounded by broken lives and with a black child named Vinny as his only true friend, Jonathan dreamed of getting out fast – particularly because a crack addict named Hanky is constantly terrorizing the kids in the building.

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Milk and Vinny find a gun and never really intend to use it other than to scare Hanky away, but in a moment of panic Milk shoots and kills the junkie. When he and Vinny move the body to cover up the killing, another drug dealer finds out and, in an ensuing tussle, the dealer tumbles down a flight of stairs to his death.

Detective Charles Stanford (Al Pacino), the former partner of Milk’s father, figures out these were innocent accidents that took out the worst human trash in the projects so Milk is never charged. The deaths are left officially unsolved.

Sixteen years later, amid NYC’s rabid love for its police after the heroics of 9/11, Milk (now played by Channing Tatum) becomes a rookie cop himself. And just as his precinct chief, Captain Marion Mathers (Ray Liotta) is imploring his officers to keep their noses clean for the public love affair to continue, Milk starts getting mysterious notes threatening to expose his secret killings. Making matters worse for Milk is a neighborhood newspaper editor (Juliette Binoche) printing notes calling for justice in the killings.

As the threats escalate and his past closes in on him, even Milk’s wife (Katie Holmes) starts to wonder what’s going on. The young cop must race against time to figure out who knows about his past and figure out how to stop them from destroying his life.

As written and directed by Dito Montiel, who came out of literally nowhere at age 38 in 2003 to win the best picture prize at Sundance with his debut film “A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints,” “Son” stands in the proudly gritty tradition of Sidney Lumet’s and Martin Scorsese’s best New York City films. Its story is harsh and uncompromising, but it provides a meaty series of ethical dilemmas that rarely are seen in the dumbed-down movies of our times.

Montiel provides a terrific script to build upon but also draws great performances from his deeply talented cast. While Tatum does solid work as Milk, there are three particularly strong and surprising turns. Katie Holmes does her best acting to date while Pacino actually manages to be subtle and affecting. The biggest surprise is comic Tracy Morgan, expertly playing the adult Vinny, a man who has been pushed so far by a hard life that he may never come back to normal.

With a profuse amount of profanity (that nonetheless feels true to the setting and characters) and some intense moments of danger involving children, “A Son of No One” might be difficult viewing for the easily offended. But for those who are longing for the kind of gritty cop drama that is all too rare these days,  it more than fills the bill and in my mind stands as one of the very best films of the year.

What a pleasant surprise it is, then, to discuss director Kevin McDonald’s new film, “The Eagle”, which we do on this week’s Take a Movie to Work video at Declaration Entertainment.

“The Eagle” follows the journey of a Roman centurion named Marcus Aquila as he braves the wilds of Caledonia, the most barbaric region of of the Roman Empire’s most barbaric holding – Britannia.

Aquila searches for the Golden Eagle carried by his father’s legion, the Ninth, which utterly disappeared from history a few years before. Accompanied only by his personal slave, an angry young Briton whom he saved from the gladiator’s sword, Aquila intends to restore his family name, or die in the effort. Along the way, he learns something of the power of trust, friendship, and freedom, all the while never failing to champion his own values – personal honor, bravery, and one rarely ever discussed in today’s world: masculinity.

All of this, plus terrific action sequences and solid performances by Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, would be enough to recommend “The Eagle” to anyone, but there is a much more refreshing aspect to this film.

The real joy of watching “The Eagle” is what it doesn’t do. In what at this point can only be called a radical departure from convention, “The Eagle” does not sanctimoniously elevate the primitive, indigenous people to an place of undeserved nobility while decrying the civilized Roman invaders as monsters.  There is none of the typical racist, anti-civilization, Rousseau and Marx infused western self-loathing that one has come to expect in their Hollywood fare.

For a more complete examination of what “The Eagle” is saying, please see Bill Whittle’s full video on the subject here, and to keep these messages coming, become a Citizen Producer at DeclarationEntertainment.com.

Those juicy ethical questions form the center of the new Ron Howard movie “The Dilemma,” a truly offbeat and intelligently adult comedy that stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, and Jennifer Connelly in a quartet of performances that rise far above the norm of most mainstream comedies. It marks a refreshing return by Howard back to the fun and human comedies he specialized in back in the ‘80s with “Splash” and “Gung Ho,” and away from the blockbuster and Oscar-baiting fare he’s been delivering in the decades since.

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“The Dilemma” appears to get off to a rocky start, as the storyline at first focuses on the efforts of longtime buddies Ronny (Vaughn) and Nick (James) to develop an electric car that macho guys won’t be ashamed to drive. Ronny is the smooth-talking fundraiser of the duo, while Nick is the engineering genius who can help them make a $400,000 deal a reality. Some of the negotiations and stress attendant to the business deal are funny, but they’re just not as compelling as what unfolds when the story gets to their personal lives.

Things improve greatly when the story shifts focus to Ronny’s attempt to set up an incredibly romantic proposal for his girlfriend Beth (Connelly). He is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nick and his wife Geneva (Ryder), whom he calls his “hero couple,” but then he catches Geneva cheating with a hunky young thug (played by Channing Tatum in one of the greatest scene-stealing supporting roles since Brad Pitt rode away with “Thelma and Louise”).

So the titular dilemma unfolds in a string of events that begin to spin wildly out of control as Ronny spies on both Geneva and Nick, and winds up getting in so much trouble that everyone around him starts to believe he’s fallen back into his old gambling addiction again. How Ronny and the rest of the gang spin their way back out again makes for a richly rewarding and funny film that has a surprising bite to it and offers each lead actor a chance to shine.

Credit for this goes all around, but has to start at square one with writer Alan Loeb, who is currently Hollywood’s hottest screenwriter after making an amazing career turnaround in which he sold a dozen scripts at age 39 after nearly two decades of failure. Adding to his inventive work in the Jennifer Aniston-Jason Bateman comedy “The Switch” and his vibrant take on the world of corrupt finance in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” Loeb shows once again that he knows how to offer up thought-provoking situations in entertaining fashion.

Howard brings a jazzed-up energy to the proceedings, while also creating a mood of awkward tension in many spots that suits the story well and gives much of the film an indie feel. Vaughn gets to deliver two of his funniest rants in years in his best role since “Wedding Crashers,” and also brings the funny in an absolutely insane comedic fight scene with Tatum.

One of Hollywood’s open Republicans, Vaughn brings some interesting touches to the film on a more subtle level. He sports a “Don’t Tread on Me” T-shirt prominently in an early scene, delivers a funny riff on how “gay” electric cars are in a move that slaps PC-ness as well as environmentalism. It’s also undeniably pro-capitalist and entrepreneurial, as the guys show a zest for creativity and making money is seen as a worthy reward for innovation. And Vince even has a heartfelt prayer scene to go with the film’s realistic and overall positive portrayal of marriage and its challenges.

Filling a gaping vacuum in the marketplace for an intelligent comedy couples can enjoy together, “The Dilemma” offers a bracingly funny start to the new year. Here’s hoping Hollywood can keep it up.

Yeah, it’s a “chick flick” and I’m sure the film did most of its initial box office due to the popularity of its male lead, Channing Tatum.  The ladies love them some Channing Tatum.  He seems like a nice enough fellow; he’s a believable actor.  Aside from the fact that, watching him, I’m constantly reminded that I really need to work my core (we actors are a generally insecure and superficial lot), what’s not to like?  I first saw him in the excellent “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” and the guy impressed me.

In “Dear John,” Tatum plays Staff Sergeant John Tyree, a Green Beret who meets and falls in love with Savannah Curtis (played by Amanda Seyfried), while home on leave.  

Savannah is a pretty and intelligent young woman with a solid set of values.  She doesn’t drink, smoke or sleep around and seems at ease in her own skin.  She is confident, compassionate and gives freely of her time and energy to her friends and the larger community.

John, while his family life has been challenging, has overcome a troubled past and has become an honorable, though sometimes volatile, man… a warrior.

I sat back and thought, “Wow.  What a nice couple of kids.”  Weird, huh?  I chuckled to myself when I realized that I’d gotten so used to snark, that I’d just been sucker punched by “nice.”  What the hell were these people trying to pull?

The story follows the couple through their early courtship and then multiple separations due to John’s military commitments.  Further complicating things are the attacks on the World Trade Center and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

There were many things I liked about this film and I’d like to lay them out for you in the hope that you’ll get out and see it before it disappears from theaters.

First and foremost, I was pleased by how SSG Tyree and the military in general were portrayed.  This film got it right.  John and his fellow soldiers demonstrated their professionalism, teamwork and commitment.  Further, as far as I could tell, the Special Forces were accurately portrayed as to their mission and how it is implemented (i.e. training of foreign troops, etc.).  I admit that, hailing from the Marine Corps, I’m not extremely well versed on the Army but everyone looked squared away.  Key military advisor, Gavin McCulley, did nice work.

Secondly, if I had a teenaged daughter, I’d certainly approve of her being exposed to characters like Savannah Curtis.  Savannah is keenly aware of the challenges facing those around her and does what she can to help.  She doesn’t complain about the unfairness of it all or about others’ inaction.  She takes action.  Savannah also succeeds where John has struggled in making a connection with his father, a quiet man who seems to have lived his life as an undiagnosed autistic.

That brings me to my final point.  Autism is another thread that runs through “Dear John.”  John’s father is played by the wonderful Richard Jenkins, who first caught my eye in the brutally funny “Flirting with Disaster.”  His portrayal of Mr. Tyree was of great interest to my wife and I.  As parents of an autistic child we often wonder what the future might hold for our son.   There is also a young boy in the story played by an autistic actor by the name of Braeden Reed.  He reminded us so much of our own son and we both were quite moved by his performance and by how naturally his autism was presented.  Kudos to Phil Blevins, Executive Director of CarolinaAutism.org, who was a consultant on the project.

I’m glad that someone tipped me off to “Dear John.”  Consider this my tip to you.  The folks who made this film understand the concepts of duty and commitment… not just to our country but also to each other. 

I hope you’ll check it out.

“Dear John” revolves around a romance between its two lead characters, John Tyree (Channing Tatum) and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried). The two meet when Curtis’ purse falls into the ocean and Tyree promptly delivers it to her. Although another guy (played by “Friday Night Light’s” Scott Porter) is interested in Curtis, she falls for Tyree, who is at home for a few weeks before he returns to the Army. The romance develops during the two weeks the couple spends together and soon enough the couple is torn apart when Tyree is sent back overseas. But they send each other love letters to keep their romance alive.

The movie develops from there as Tyree is forced to make choices about whether he wants to re-enlist after the September 11the attacks. Curtis is forced to make choices about her own life, as well. This may sound like a romantic movie with nothing else to offer, however there are some strong elements that elevate it beyond a simplistic romance.

The movie has a nice father-son relationship between Tyree and his father (played by Richard Jenkins), that’s even stronger than the Tyree-Curtis romance. In his role, Jenkins is great as a quiet father who collects coins and who once shared that passion with his son. He delivers the strongest performance by far and is one of the best parts of the movie. Jenkins was often off the critics’ radar before his performance in the great film “The Visitor,” and “Dear John” uses him affectionately knowing his strengths as an actor.

As with some of the other Nicholas Sparks films, this is an old-fashioned romance about young love and the things that divide two people who have fallen in love. It is blatantly sentimental and aims straight at your heart strings without backing away. It unabashedly asks viewers to fall in love with the young couple and to believe in their relationship even though the two of them are often separated for long periods of time.

In the third act, though, the story takes a disappointing turn. After Tyree returns home from duty for a short period, there is a surprising revelation that detracts from the main story. It seems like an out of nowhere plot twist that only serves to make the conclusion of the film more dramatic.

Although the third act seriously hurts the movie, I did enjoy the film. It has enough strengths (including the father-son relationship) to overcome the weaknesses. Romance fans will likely not be disappointed. As for other film-goers, “Dear John” might be a letter best unopened.