The Idea of You (2024)

The Idea of You (2024)

A smart albeit dry romantic comedy that unwittingly contradicts its empowering message

6.9

Movie

United States of America
Armenian, English, German
Comedy, Music, Romance
2024
MICHAEL SHOWALTER
Angela Davis, Anne Hathaway, Annie Mumolo
116 min

TLDR

No one needs convincing that Anne Hathaway still has it, but here we are.

What it's about

When Solene (Anne Hathaway) accompanies her daughter to a meet and greet of boyband August Moon, she strikes an immediate connection with one of its members, Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine).

The take

For a romantic comedy with a fairy tale premise (a star falls in love with a regular person, and a much older one at that), The Idea of You is surprisingly relevant. It interweaves its romance with discussions of ageism and sexism, making it more self-aware than other movies in the same genre. But with that relevance comes a certain dryness; The Idea of You, for all its steamy scenes, lacks the sensuality and charm of a legitimate romcom. Solene is overly cautious, which doesn’t give much way to mystery and mistakes. She makes for a wise role model sure, but not necessarily a rootable heroine. If you like your romcoms to be more on the smart and predictable side, then you’ll enjoy The Idea of You. But if you prefer more hearty laughs and big gestures, then you’re better off looking for another title to stream.

What stands out

Hathaway is mind-blowingly, almost unattainably, gorgeous. Good for her and for elderly female representation, I suppose, but also: the film seems to send out a message that this kind of love is only possible for women of a certain caliber.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

More like this in

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

La Chimera (2023)

A dreamy, bewitching film that ponders on ideas of lostness and longing

8.0

Trick (1999)

A witty and refreshing comedy-of-errors depicting the gay community in the big city

7.4

Cold War (2018)

A quiet Polish masterpiece with ravishing music and dazzling visuals

9.2

The Farewell (2019)

Awkwafina shines in this complex culture clash comedy.

9.1

Wild Tales (2014)

Co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar, this tumultuous Argentine anthology film tests the limits of human sanity when pushed to the extremes – and will also test yours.

9.9

Booksmart (2019)

Two academic overachievers from high school set out to prove that they're a smart and fun for one last time.

9.0

Problemista (2024)

Dark, weird, poignant, and funny, this debut feature by Los Espookys star Julio Torres is a modern parable of the American Dream

8.6

Falling in Love Like in Movies (2023)

A contemplative Indonesian romance film that rewrites and re-examines the genre’s conventions

8.4

Sound of Metal (2020)

Riz Ahmed excels in this piercing drama about a musician losing his hearing.

9.1

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.