Listen. Schmalzy romcoms are totally not my bag, okay? The whole premise does nothing for me. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed one for years. But there was something about Aline Brosh McKenna’s film that made me want to keep watching. And – whisper it very quietly – I quite enjoyed it.
The film stars Reece Witherspoon as Debbie and Ashton Kutcher as Peter. It opens with them having a one-night stand together in the early 00s. A jump forwards in time reveals that they didn’t end up married, but that they did end up very close friends, despite living on opposite sides of the USA.
So, where is the story taken and how does it end? Well, very similarly to most other rom-coms. There are a few bumps along the way and everyone ends up quite happy at the end.
The beauty in the film comes with its simplicity and charm. The leads have never looked better and make a perfect match. They add life to a solid storyline that feels snappy and well baked. There’s no laziness in the character realisation, especially in Theo (Jesse Williams), for whom it would have been easier to paint as more sinister and manipulative.
It isn’t groundbreaking cinema but it does a very good job of what it set out to do. Sometimes that is enough.
Maybe it is my bag after all.