‘Anyone But You’ On Netflix Movie Review: Glen Powell, Sydney Sweeney Lack Chemistry In A Romcom That Tries To Break The Mould

‘Anyone But You’: Story

After an amazing first date, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben’s (Glen Powell) fiery attraction turns ice-cold. They both end up feeling that the other is not that interested in them. It’s something that they feel or overhear out of context that makes them believe that they don’t like each other. However, as fate would have it, they find themselves unexpectedly reunited for a wedding. It’s not just any random wedding, but a destination wedding in picturesque locales of Australia. Now, the others at the wedding soon realise that these two might create a scene and end up ruining the eventful week for the couple getting married. So, what do they all do together? Well, they conspire to bring Bea and Ben together. And what do Bea and Ben do? Well, they figure out the plan and play along pretending to be falling in love and being a couple. But are they actually falling in love? The rest of the film revolves around finding that out.

‘Anyone But You’: Performances

Glen Powell, fresh off the massive success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ does well once again. He manages to grab attention in every way possible. The character demanded someone as good looking, charming and well-built as him, but he also was able to give the character a lot of humane angles. He made sure that the character was not just someone on the exterior trying to flaunt himself, but someone who also has a lot of emotions buried deep inside.

Sydney Sweeney starts off quite rough, but as the film progresses, she manages to make the character her own. It’s her ruggedness hidden under a layer of impishness that makes you start liking the character. While she doesn’t handle the emotional bits that well, but she makes it up quite well with some of her quirky antics.

What’s however strange is that their chemistry together is not that soothing. They are constantly trying to win you over and make you believe that they are falling in love, but whenever they are together the undertone of romance does not feel that palpable. Even if them trying to fake it, there had to be some undercurrents which would have made you feel this would end up working well for both. Even though their individual performances were good, it is their chemistry together which was sadly missing.

None of the supporting characters have a stand out performance to boast of. On the contrary, actors like Dermot Mulroney have been utterly wasted in characters which were way below their level of stardom.

‘Anyone But You’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects

Writers Ilana Wolpert and Will Gluck have tried to keep the usual mushy gooey away and showcased a romcom in a slightly different space. They’ve tried to keep the antics of the lead actors funny, but they’ve also tried to talk of deeper emotional issues as well. That’s quite a refreshing change to see in a romcom. But what’s invariably similar to other romcoms is that the storyline is rather predictable. You know at numerous instances as to what is going to happen next and in 9 out of 10 cases your predictions would be right. So, the predictability of the story kills a bit of the fun. Also, the comedy aspect could have been upped a bit more. A lot of the comedy is not situational. Rather it is slapstick and sometimes it feels a bit too much. For example, there is scene where the lead couple put their hands inside each other pants to caress the buttocks, so as to make people standing behind them jealous. Sadly, that kind of in-your-face comedy did not go well with the rest of the plot.

Will Gluck’s direction is decent. While he hasn’t tried to do something overtly different, what he has managed to do is keep the essence of a romcom correct. He is able to emancipate that feeling of a love being reaffirmed by way of bringing in different character from the past of the lead actors, which make the film lovable. He has tried to keep the setting of the film in Australia very picturesque, which makes you have that feel-good factor. Also, the intimate scenes feel so well directed that not for once do you feel that it’s looking vulgar or feel that it is forcefully shown. Getting that balance correctly is definitely a tricky, but Will Gluck managed that perfectly. He, however, could have brought in a bit more comedy gags, thereby upping the quotient of fun. He was anyways going to slapstick antics, so what would have been the harm to get a few more gags in place?

Danny Ruhlmann’s cinematography helps you get that apt romcom feel. He has shot the outdoor scenes in Australia so aesthetically that you’re mesmerised by the beauty of the locales. Also, the indoor scenes have been so nicely lit that you’re not missing out any detail at any point. Not to forget, the way he has shot the intimate scene with the lead actors, it’s been done so aesthetically that you’re drawn into the scene and not repelled by it. That appealing factor which comes from ‘first love’ is shown very seamlessly in that scene and therefore you feel it’s out of place at all.

The editing by Kim Boritz-Brehm and Tia Nolan is a crisp. They’ve not crossed the two-hour mark, which would have otherwise made some parts in the middle end up being too boring and overly dragged.

If there is one weak point in the film, it has to be the music. Este Haim and Christopher Stracey’s music isn’t upto the mark of a romcom. Romantic films are supposed to have some really memorable themes and songs which give you that feeling of getting a big bear hug. Even if the makers of the film were trying to do things differently, the feeling of a romcom comes much better with great background score and music. Este Haim  and Christopher Stracey missed out on that.

‘Anyone But You’: Cast & Crew

Director: Will Gluck

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, Rachel Griffiths

Available On: Netflix

Duration: 1 Hour 43 Minutes

‘Anyone But You’: Can Kids Watch It?

Yes

Outlook’s Verdict

‘Anyone But You’ is strikingly different from your usual mushy romcoms. It does have elements that make you feel that way, but it also has elements that make you feel that the story is quite believable and relatable at the same time. The comedy quotient could have been upped a bit as some of the slapstick jokes did not stick well. The performances by the lead actors were apt for their characters, but their onscreen chemistry together did not land well. The cinematography is one thing that just blows you away. If you’re ever feeling low in love and want to just reaffirm your faith in romance, this is Breezy One Watch. I am going with 3 stars.