Message in a Bottle

Here in Toronto, where I live, we have a local tv station called CITY TV. Somewhere in the programming department of said station dwells a person with a seriously sadistic streak. How else you would you explain running MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE as a late night movie on Valentine's Day? Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, which should be your first clue here, this film is no tear jerker...more like white water rafting action and after seeing it I think the KLEENEX company bankrolled the sucker. This is chick flick with a capital damn C, but don't let this fool you...it's damn good with some nicely paced scripting and some damn fine acting. Kevin Coster and Robin Wright Penn, who I would say is the most beautiful woman in the world but I don't want Sean coming over and punching me in the eye, helm this sailing fantasy in which love is lost and found and lost again (funny, I thought the Greeks wrote this one ages ago) and Paul Newman stands around all crusty and waxes the light fantastic on the meaning of life. As cheesy as all of this may sound, this trio under the skillful direction of Luis Mandoki, breathe life in to a project that if left to the hands of others would have failed. The lovely Hayden Panettiere, who would go on to HEROES fame in the role of Claire Bennet, has a pivotal cameo here but you'll have to look extra closely to find her. Back to CITY TV and the sadist....point is...this film will get the chickies all weepy, depressed and bothered at the best of times.....slot it in on late night Valentine's and what you have is a recipe for suicide.....hell...I damn near wanted to slit my wrists after watching it~!