Redeeming Love

By: Jamie Steinberg

The Wild West was rough and tumble. The guys were out for gold and the girls were at home raising the family. The unluckier ladies may have even found themselves at work in a brothel. Thus is the case when it comes to Angel – the pride of the city of Paradise. Her days are filled entertaining the ones lucky enough to have their ticket selected. That is until she meets a man with dreams of changing her stars. Unfortunately, though, when it comes to the film Redeeming Love there is no saving this storyline.

Sarah (Livi Birch) is the bastard daughter of Mae (an underused Nina Dobrev) and wealthy already wed Alex Stafford (Josh Taylor). When Sarah fails to impress her father the family is kicked out of the house and Mae is forced to do whatever it takes to earn enough for her and her daughter to survive. When her mom passes away, Sarah is sent to live with Irish pimp Duke (Eric Dane with a decent accent) who does unspeakable things to someone so young. We then flashforward to the popular Angel [Sarah with a new name] (Abigail Cowen) as men wait outside the brothel in hopes of having her attention. Farmer Michael Hosea (Tom Lewis) finds his way in town to sell some wares where he spots Angel on a walk. He falls hard for her and vows to make her his wife. Somehow Michael makes his way up the stairs to Angel’s room on more than one occasion (Supposedly he uses gold dust he has to snag some time, but we aren’t told how he comes to possess it or why he gets selected to see her while all the other guys had to wait their turn or get passed over for another day). While there he refuses to partake in pleasure but spends his time getting to know her. One day Angel talks back to her madame (an odd role for Famke Janssen) and it earns her a beat down by handler Magowan (Brandon Auret). Michael rescues her and nurses her back to health – after they get married (something we aren’t privy to).

I imagine the phrase “you can’t turn a hoe into a housewife” is too modern for this movie, but it sure fits since Angel rebels against Michael’s pure intentions. Eventually, she finds her footing as a farmer’s wife and learns to let Michael in; however, Duke isn’t so keen on letting his former most financially lucrative lady go. Add in Michael’s brother-in-law (Logan Marshall-Green) who is bitter over returning “home” to find a prostitute wearing his late wife’s clothing.

The film Redeeming Love is based on Francine Rivers’ book by the same name; however, I can’t find anything redeeming about sitting through the film. Sure, Livi Birch is adorable as young Sarah, grown Angel is a looker (it’s the long blond flowing locks that are #hairgoals) and Michael has a sweet face with a heart of gold, but even that doesn’t seem to help carry the film. Director D.J. Caruso (I Am Number Four, Disturbia) does a good enough job with the scenery, but it’s an oddity to have him helm a film that is less action packed and more romantic drama.

For those seeking a pre-Valentine’s Day love story, look away. Sadly, Redeeming Love has no redemptive arc making it worth the watch. I’d recommend sticking to a film classic if you’re looking for a heart filled romantic tale.