Although The Map That Leads To You is based on a novel by Joseph Monninger, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks. There are attractive leads, romance blossoming after an inauspicious start, and a secret that could make or break the potential future of the relationship. So, yeah, it's a "Nicholas Sparks movie" in all but name, essentially.
Madelyn Cline is Heather, a young woman on a holiday to Europe with her two friends (Connie, played by Sofia Wylie, and Amy, played by Madison Thompson) before she's due to head home, where she will start her career in the world of banking. She meets Jack (KJ Apa) on a train, and we know he'll become a main character because he's the kind of free spirit who climbs to the overhead luggage racks in order to try sleeping during this part of the journey. Connie ends up getting on with Raef (Orlando Norman), who is a friend of Jack, and it's not long until Heather is won over by Jack's charm.
Adapted into screenplay form by Vera Herbert and Les Bohem, two writers who have a decent bit of variety in their respective filmographies, this is very comfortable and predictable stuff. It's aimed squarely at those who want something romantic to watch, presents everything through a filter of glorious sunshine and idealism, and there are enough moments throughout to make you smile in between the manipulative moments that try to make you leak slightly from your eyes.
Cline and Apa are perfectly fine leads, with the latter having the benefit of playing the more fun and livelier of the two characters, and they're matched by Wylie, Thompson, and Norman, all defined by their youthfulness and looks ahead of any really deep characterisation. Josh Lucas has a couple of scenes, required to do nothing more than play the concerned father, and he's not bad either. The locations are the real star though, in specific terms and as a reminder of the beauty of a world that far too few people have the time to truly appreciate, with the exception of that one annual holiday when we often want nothing more than relaxation and some tanning time.
Director Lasse Hallström may not put any unique stamp on things, but he approaches the material with the skill and finesse that he has had throughout his lengthy film career. I would recommend at least half a dozen other movies from him ahead of this one, but none of them would necessarily hit the exact same sweet spot that this hits for those in the mood for glossy romance. Mind you, that's only because I would be unlikely to recommend either Dear John or Safe Haven (both based on, yep, novels by Nicholas Sparks) ahead of the likes of Chocolat, My Life As A Dog, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and a few others.
This wasn't made for me. The fact that I didn't hate it is more to do with how easygoing I am when I sit down to watch any movie. It was nice to watch with my partner though, considering the many times she has had to sit there and tolerate movies that were much more in my wheelhouse, and sometimes you just want something that can play out while you have snuggles, whether those snuggles are with a partner, with a pet, or with a tub of your favourite ice cream.
5/10
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