Nights in Rodanthe
2008 · Directed by George C. Wolfe
Original language: English
- drama
- romance
The story
Adrienne is trying to decide whether to stay in her unhappy marriage or not, and her life changes when Paul, a doctor who is travelling to reconcile with his estranged son, checks into an inn where she is staying.
What it’s like
Soft coastal light and long, unhurried shots of weathered clapboard, sea grass and grey-blue Atlantic water give this film a washed, slightly faded palette, with warm interiors of the Outer Banks inn glowing amber against storm-dark evenings. Rain, wind through the dunes and the rhythm of waves carry much of the sound, with a sweeping, sentimental piano-and-strings score that swells at emotional peaks and otherwise steps back. The pace is slow and deliberate, built on quiet conversations, lingering looks and long stretches of stillness, and the tone is wistful, tender and steeped in middle-aged longing, the sense of a life pausing at a crossroads. Its arc follows two guarded people who slowly open to each other during a few days away from home. Intensity is low: there is no violence, the sexual content is restrained and implied, and the one heavy thread, a strained marriage, is handled with restraint. It suits a rainy weekend, a Valentine's evening, or a comfort watch for anyone who likes gentle, grown-up romance and seaside melancholy.
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