For me, The Idea of You is a 50% yes but 50% mid kind of rom-com. One the lead actors elevate it into a cozy weekend watch. What pulls you in is the film’s reliance on Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Solène, a 40-year-old single mother, and her unexpected romance with Nicholas Galitzine’s Hayes Campbell, an endearing boy band frontman. That and the “universal fantasy’ of dating a pop star. Based on the book by author and actress, Robinne Lee, the couple’s solid meet-cute and steady pacing allow the couple to navigate the ups and downs of their May-December relationship without loosing our attention.
While the film is fun to follow for the most part, it still feels like the penultimate scenes are inevitable, lacking the ‘escalation of anticipation’ that leads to those heart-fluttering conclusions we crave in rom-coms. The ending is optimistic; it sparks without catching fire, which may cause comparisons to our favorite romantic comedies. Even with its strong similarities to Notting Hill, another film that plays with the dynamics between a huge celebrity and a mundane purveyor of the arts, the earlier film serves up greater character depth and bigger swoons.
I’m not mad at The Idea of You, though. Its depiction of society’s contempt for women over 40 who live passionately is a well-stated truth. It makes for a rom-com you can curl up on the couch and enjoy with your chosen movie mate and a bowl of snacks on any given Sunday, Saturday, or Friday night.
Dive into the other blurbs on AWFJ.org to discover why
The Idea of You captured attention as the Movie of the Week (MOTW)
