F.M. DiMeo

Dark, heavy handed, preachy and disjointed.

As a made-for-Netflix RomCom, this is a winner and a pleasant trip. I can only imagine that those giving low reviews here aren’t into Rom-Com’s or perhaps fear being judged for watching them? My ego will not be bruised by admitting that I like watching a happy, fun rom-com now and then. This fits the bill with likeable characters, some genuinely believable relationships and some beautiful scenery. I really rooted for this couple, and definitely appreciated that this movie DID NOT include a “woman hoping man will like her” or “woman recovering from broken heart” or “two woman fighting over one man” trope. Very refreshing. Also, the relationship between the two leads developed at a more organic pace than usual in this genre. That said, there are some things about this movie that also have the dramatic fantastical fiction of a stage play or musical. Some of the New York scenes, the odd “across the tracks” part of the kingdom, and the two over-the-top friends who play dramatically unchangeable fish-out-of water characters. I would say these bits of the film read like the type of caricatures one might be more comfortable seeing on stage than in film. Here they often served to bring one a bit out of the story and remind us that we were watching a fantasy than to let us stay immersed. That said, we are watching a fantasy. And it was a fun one with characters you will root for. So go ahead, watch it, and enjoy it for what it is.