One Day (Lone Scherfig, 2011)

The adaptation of David Nicholls's romantic bestseller stays faithful to the source, probably operating on the principle of not tinkering with a tried and tested commercial formula. It thus follows the up-and-down relationship of Dexter and Emma from university, through his fame and addictions and her dead-end phases of existence, catching up with them at annual intervals for a day. The leads Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess are both sweet, even allowing for her wildly wandering accent and his mumbling delivery. Unfortunately, their chemistry does not really work for the simple reason that it's difficult to support her indulgence of his protracted bad years. Here, sticking doggedly to the structure of the novel is a shortcoming too, as the transitions from the dark of one year to the light of another occur without warning in minutes instead of chapters, leaving the viewer constantly playing catch-up with the current emotional balance between the characters.

5/10