“The Idea Of You” is perfect for your next date night
The Idea Of You, a Prime Video adaptation of Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, stars Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. Officially, the synopsis reads: “A 40-year-old single mom begins an unexpected romance with a 24-year-old boy band singer.” But the new date night flick is about more than just a fanfic that made it to the screen.
In an unexpected twist, Solène (Hathaway) spontaneously joins her daughter, Izzy (Ella Rubin), and her friends to Coachella. She gets herself lost looking for a bathroom, and uses one in the trailer of Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), and the two start to talk. After Hayes dedicates a song to her in front of thousands of people, Solène thinks that’s the end of their story. Too bad Hayes shows up in her gallery, buying everything and freeing up Solène’s time—so he can court her, of course.
What follows is days of a whirlwind romance set in cities across Europe as Hayes finishes up the legs of his tour. The two are completely smitten, but reality eventually finds them. Could a 40-year-old mom of a high schooler realistically be the girlfriend of a musician from one of the hottest boy bands?
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There’s been a shift back to old-school romcoms recently, with Anyone But You being a prime example. But Hathaway’s star power brings something different to The Idea Of You, making the entire film seem more cohesive and the narrative more genuine. Hathaway is as charming as ever, and Galitzine is endearing—and if the squeals from the premiere I watched are any indication, these two have a lot of chemistry between them.
But The Idea Of You is more than just a May-December romance; it’s more than a fanfic come to life on screen. What adds to the movie is that it touches on so many aspects of love without forgetting to feed the main pairing. Solène and Izzy go back and forth between what to give and what to ask for, between giving too much and asking too much in the name of love. Solène and ex-husband Dan (Reid Scott) try to find balance in the absence of their own romance and the hypocrisies in their relationship. And then, of course, Solène and Hayes must figure out the reality of their realities, and figure out who they can be together in the midst of all of that.
The Idea Of You tethers between the believable and the unbelievable, between finding love in the most uncertain circumstances and the expectations of it once it’s there. It touches on real arguments that happen in real life, but between two unbelievable good looking people—and isn’t that what a great romcom is?
So get ready for date night, and queue this film.
“The Idea Of You” is now showing on Amazon Prime Video.
Art Dani Sison
