THE IDEA OF YOU -- Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine's Charm Carries MILF Rom-Com

Review by Sean Boelman

Courtesy Amazon MGM Studios

Michael Showalter has brought us some great, unorthodox romantic comedies, including The Big Sick and Hello, My Name Is Doris. While his latest, The Idea of You, is much more conventional and leans on a lot of cheesy tropes, it also takes advantage of its stars’ charisma and talent to deliver a genuinely lovable entry into the genre.

Based on the novel by Robinne Lee, the film follows a 40-year-old single mother who forms an unlikely relationship with the 24-year-old lead singer of one of the most popular boy bands around. If this sounds cheesy and trashy — like A Star Is Born for the Wattpad generation — it’s because it kind of is. However, if you’re willing to enjoy it for what it is, it’s a diverting hour and 55 minutes.

The movie attempts to dive into some of the deeper complexities of its age gap relationship, such as the double standard that is applied to men and women dating people who are younger than them. However, it takes a while for the romance storyline to really reach full speed, and by that time, it ends up feeling rushed to explore all of its themes in the back hour.

Still, the characters are so incredibly likable that it’s hard not to get swept away by The Idea of You’s romance. It’s refreshing to see a film told from the perspective of a perspective that’s not too often showcased as a romantic lead in movies like this — even if the actress cast in the lead role is one of the few that Hollywood would still let carry a movie like this.

Photo Credit: Alisha Wetherill

On the one hand, Anne Hathaway gives one of her best performances in years in this role, bringing a ton of charm and humor to the character but also elevating it with a nuance that many other actors would not have explored. At the same time, the movie seems to treat her as if she’s “plain” — not one of the highest-paid actresses of all time who is known for her beauty. This does make the third act’s conflict somewhat hard to believe.
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As for Nicholas Galitzine, one of the brightest rising stars in the film industry today, he yet again proves that he has what it takes to be a movie star. Although he’s quickly becoming typecast as the attractive guy who seems dumb on the surface but has a deeper, more sensitive side, he’s good at doing it, so why should he stop?

For the most part, the movie is shot in a pretty straightforward romantic comedy style, with the exception of a few editing flourishes that feel ripped out of classic music movies like Micahel Wadleigh’s Woodstock. However, the real star of the execution is its original music, as there are more than a few catchy original songs for the boy band of the film.

The Idea of You is a trashy romantic comedy, but as far as the genre goes, you could do a lot worse than this. Thanks to its leads’ genuinely good performances and a storyline that’s consistently charming — even if it’s not as deep as it seems to think it is — this will definitely find life among audiences both young and old.

The Idea of You is now in theaters and streams on Prime beginning May 2.

​Rating: 3.5/5