The Idea of You
★★★
Not that I'm expecting a lot of plausibility with my romance dramas, but 'The Idea of You' would have been better served if it were steeped in more reality. Overall, I had a good time with this film. It was a pleasant watch and it has a very intriguing concept, but there are a lot of details about the relationship between single 40-year-old mom Solène (Anne Hathaway) and boy band heartthrob Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine) that are left unexplored. The physical chemistry is instantly recognizable, but there are many conversations that I think should have happened between the characters that go unchecked. We never come to understand why these two adore each other so much. Now, visually, both actors can convey this brilliantly, but the character Solène makes some choices that I don't think any 40-year-old would ever make, which includes standing up and listening backstage at every August Moon set.
I did enjoy that this film never goes too dark or cheery. Director Michael Showalter certainly finds the right tone, but I was pretty surprised by the clichéd moments that seep in that are out of place (the awkward encounters from the other camp parents for instance). I feel as if this film could have been a standout, but it is content with staying surface-level. It's like a beach book come to life. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to the viewer, but sometimes it's fun to dive into an unrealistic fantasy.
