Anyone But You fits the 2000s rom-com formula perfectly.
Anyone but you revives the 2000s rom-com clichés we’ve all been desperately missing, in a well-realized fake-dating trope.
Starring a shirtless Glen Powell and a bikini-clad Sydney Sweeney. The film follows the turbulent and comedic love-hate relationship between Ben (Powell) and Bea (Sweeney) during their wedding in Australia.
The film begins with Bea and Ben immediately falling in love after a meet-cute in a café. The duo experience a romantic, innocent and emotionally vulnerable night together only to end in disaster when the inexperienced Bea hurriedly sneaks out of Ben’s apartment the next morning, only to return to hear him call her “nothing” and a “disaster”. »
Unaware that their actions are motivated by resentment and naivety, the two main characters choose hostility over basic communication. A few months later, Bea and Ben accidentally meet again when Bea’s sister is engaged to Ben’s best friend and they both attend the wedding party along with their recent exes.
As the pre-wedding events unfold, marked by random fireworks, immature stares and clever name-calling, Ben and Bea find themselves at each other’s throats, causing chaos in the wedding plans. To ensure peace at the wedding, the families plan to make Bea and Ben fall in love with each other.
Aware of their parents’ plan and the presence of their exes, Bea and Ben devise a plan of their own: to fake a relationship to distract their parents and avoid causing worry about ruining the wedding, while making their exes jealous in hopes. renewing their past relationship.
Any rom-com aficionado is well acquainted with fake dates. Viewers expect the line between fake crush and real crush to blur, especially when it comes to two hot exes who, let’s face it, will get together when the main characters realize they don’t even remotely hate each other. other different anyway. Both scenarios take place in this film.
Complaining about the predictability of the film would be ridiculous: audiences knew what they were sitting down to watch when they bought their tickets. The film didn’t intend to be a harsh commentary on romantic relationships; The trailer literally shows Sweeney pulling a spider out of Powell’s pants, causing him to freak out and strip naked.
The film’s goal was to offer a return to film formulas such as “How to lose a guy in 10 days”, “The Proposal”, And 10 things I don’t like about you-romantic and sincere moments, feelings under the guise of hatred and argument, emphasized by fun. Anyone but you did exactly that.
What makes the film so great despite its predictability, and what sets it apart from traditional rom-com formulas, is the top-notch comedy. The film is replete with hilarious moments that will leave audiences giggling in their seats.
Although the film follows similar structures, Anyone but you doesn’t come close to the aforementioned 2000s favorites, although some TikTokers will try to tell you otherwise.
One of the film’s shortcomings lies in Sweeney’s performance, which is shocking given her confession in Euphoria. At times, her distaste for Powell seems more ambivalent than exasperated. While their chemistry is undeniable in their romantic, intimate and heartbreaking scenes, in some scenes filled with banter, her expression appears bored and dismissive.
Luckily for the hopeless romantics who sit down to watch the film, it’s the romantic moments that we really crave anyway: the longing for the stars, the emotionally intimate moments, and the jealousy of being with someone else. Even if it misses the mark for some viewers, nothing will melt the heart more than the lovestruck and handsome Glen Powell.
Anyone but you delivers all the heartbreaking moments accompanied by a few comedic scenes that any viewer will enjoy, giving us what we’ve been so desperately waiting for: a classic rom-com with the 2000s formula.
Tags
film, review, romcom
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief and/or Managing Editor. Authors may not be contacted, stalked, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any concerns about this article, please email your comments to Journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.