Media with a writer as a lead is rarely a good idea, but I was intrigued by the idea of a struggling female writer finding success and happiness. I also like the actress, so I figured there was no harm in giving it a try. Unfortunately, the movie fell short of meeting any of my expectations.
As a romance, it was atrocious. Their relationship was represented by a haphazard, cliched conglomeration of clips, as we time skipped through everything we needed to see to understand. We went straight from the clumsy meeting of an acclaimed but emotionally incompetent curmudgeon and a struggling but quirky and effusive writer, to their break-up. There was no chance to build an attachment to them as a couple. Beyond their good looks, there wasn't any reason to want to see them together.
Then there was Willie, who I didn't mind if only because he was realistic in a way and because there were no attempts to make him sympathetic. He was narcissistic cad, period. However, I do have to note that his presence wasn't necessary. The main role he played was being the antagonistic foil to the male lead to make the latter seem like a better man. Otherwise, he could have been removed in order to provide more time to actually develop the main couple's relationship.
On that note, the male lead is another reason why the romance was grossly unappealing. They give us no reason to like him. He's a better alternative to Willie, but that's not saying much. He's rude, insensitive, brooding, and selfish. What kind of competent but struggling professional screams abuse and throw objects at the people they work with? What kind of male lead in a romance deliberately tries to make the female lead miserable? What kind of male lead attempts to sabotage a healing father-daughter relationship? What kind of romance features a couple suddenly and inexplicably in love with each other despite having only unkind words for the other throughout most of the film?
The film comes across as one of those stale romcoms which excuse a man's emotional incompetence and abuse, by framing as a test of the woman's capacity to endure and forgive. This idea was reaffirmed, in my opinion, when the male lead's friend disregards all the misfortune and damage they caused the female lead and has the nerve to call them "nice guys" for being unable to do worse.
The scene in which he confessed his wrongdoings only made me irritated and disgusted by the writers and the plot. For background, there's a meta line where the character the lead is writing about, Darsie, comments that she will only do nudity if it's absolutely vital to the plot. Cue gratuitous nudity from lead, with the forced assumption that it is essential to the plot. Spoiler: it's not.
The female lead is only nude to exploit the female actress, and to put the female lead in a naked (lterally), vulnerable, humiliating, revealing, and disadvantaged position when the male lead comes to dleiver his apologies and excuses. This keeps the power dynamics in favor of the male lead, despite his actions necessitating his surrendering the power to the person he wronged. It's screwed up.
I wish I hadn't watched this movie. The only positIves were Karen Gillan's acting, and the potential to be great the film had if it had focused on anything but the romance, if it had excised the romance altogether. If the movie had focused on Jane's career, or writing, or her relationship with her father... It's too bad, really.
As a romance, it was atrocious. Their relationship was represented by a haphazard, cliched conglomeration of clips, as we time skipped through everything we needed to see to understand. We went straight from the clumsy meeting of an acclaimed but emotionally incompetent curmudgeon and a struggling but quirky and effusive writer, to their break-up. There was no chance to build an attachment to them as a couple. Beyond their good looks, there wasn't any reason to want to see them together.
Then there was Willie, who I didn't mind if only because he was realistic in a way and because there were no attempts to make him sympathetic. He was narcissistic cad, period. However, I do have to note that his presence wasn't necessary. The main role he played was being the antagonistic foil to the male lead to make the latter seem like a better man. Otherwise, he could have been removed in order to provide more time to actually develop the main couple's relationship.
On that note, the male lead is another reason why the romance was grossly unappealing. They give us no reason to like him. He's a better alternative to Willie, but that's not saying much. He's rude, insensitive, brooding, and selfish. What kind of competent but struggling professional screams abuse and throw objects at the people they work with? What kind of male lead in a romance deliberately tries to make the female lead miserable? What kind of male lead attempts to sabotage a healing father-daughter relationship? What kind of romance features a couple suddenly and inexplicably in love with each other despite having only unkind words for the other throughout most of the film?
The film comes across as one of those stale romcoms which excuse a man's emotional incompetence and abuse, by framing as a test of the woman's capacity to endure and forgive. This idea was reaffirmed, in my opinion, when the male lead's friend disregards all the misfortune and damage they caused the female lead and has the nerve to call them "nice guys" for being unable to do worse.
The scene in which he confessed his wrongdoings only made me irritated and disgusted by the writers and the plot. For background, there's a meta line where the character the lead is writing about, Darsie, comments that she will only do nudity if it's absolutely vital to the plot. Cue gratuitous nudity from lead, with the forced assumption that it is essential to the plot. Spoiler: it's not.
The female lead is only nude to exploit the female actress, and to put the female lead in a naked (lterally), vulnerable, humiliating, revealing, and disadvantaged position when the male lead comes to dleiver his apologies and excuses. This keeps the power dynamics in favor of the male lead, despite his actions necessitating his surrendering the power to the person he wronged. It's screwed up.
I wish I hadn't watched this movie. The only positIves were Karen Gillan's acting, and the potential to be great the film had if it had focused on anything but the romance, if it had excised the romance altogether. If the movie had focused on Jane's career, or writing, or her relationship with her father... It's too bad, really.