One True Loves
Romance isn't dead with "One True Loves."
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I’m generally not into romantic comedies or dramas. I can get down on “anti-romantic comedies” if you will (something along the lines of “Swingers” or “High Fidelity”). Certain staples of the genre get my seal of approval (“When Harry Met Sally”) while others don’t (Suck it, “Sleepless in Seattle”!) though I must confess I am crazy for, stupid about and in love with “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
I mostly agreed to review the romantic dramedy “One True Loves” (available for a one-night engagement at AMC Indianapolis 17 on Wednesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. before opening in select theaters on Friday, April 7 and dropping on VOD on Friday, April 14) based on the strength of its cast. I’m honestly glad I did. What started out pretty weakly with a litany of Lifetime Movie clichés deepens as it develops to become something fairly substantial.
Best friends Emma (Oona Yaffe) and Sam (Phinehas Yoon) are attending a high school keg party. He’s in love with her, but she’s only got eyes for Jesse (Cooper van Grootel). When the party gets busted up by the police Emma and Jesse are taken downtown and a love connection is made … much to Sam’s chagrin.
We flash forward a decade. Emma (now played by Phillipa Soo of “Hamilton”) and Jesse (now played by Luke Bracey AKA Johnny Utah 2.0) have moved from Massachusetts to California, gotten married and are working together as a travel writer and photographer respectively. On the eve of their first wedding anniversary Jesse is called away on business – the helicopter in which he’s traveling crashes and he’s presumed dead.
Emma, mourning the loss of Jesse, returns to Massachusetts and begins working at the book store belonging to her parents Colin (Michael O’Keefe … Noonan!) and Ann (Lauren Tom – she was Julie on “Friends” and Tony Cox’s character’s evil wife in “Bad Santa”) alongside her sister Marie (Michaela Conlin of the bitchin’ “Bad Trip”), which she swore she’d never do. While home Emma rekindles her friendship with Sam (now played by Shang-Chi himself, Simu Liu) and it eventually blossoms into a romance.
In a sick twist of fate just as Sam’s proposed marriage to Emma and she’s accepted, Jesse returns alive surprising everyone. Emma now must weigh the tough decision of with which man she wants to spend the rest of her life.
“One True Loves” as helmed by Andy Fickman (probably best known for directing wrestlers Dwayne Johnson and John Cena in family fare such as “The Game Plan,” “Race to Witch Mountain” (2009) and “Playing with Fire”) and adapted by Taylor Jenkins Reid (from her own novel … another one of her books (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) is currently a successful Amazon Prime miniseries) and her husband Alex J. Reid is a good film.
My biggest caveat with it is a prolonged montage of Emma and Jesse’s portfolio. I get it – she does the writing, he takes the pictures. The web design is also abysmal. Five examples surely would’ve sufficed as opposed to 10. However the filmmakers should be applauded for showing as opposed to telling I suppose. Everything else is pretty much smooth sailing. My wife and I laughed and cried plenty. Soo is a hugely sympathetic lead. Liu is massively charming. Bracey is appropriately intense. They’re all strongly supported by a game supporting cast, which also includes Tom Everett Scott AKA Shades from “That Thing You Do!” as Emma’s brother-in-law Michael … he imbues his nothingburger role with a good deal of charm.
I suppose romance – much like Jesse – isn’t dead. As far as date night movies go, you could do much worse than “One True Loves.”