Based off of a 2017 novel of the same name, writer-director Michael Showalter’s newest feature “The Idea of You” follows a newly-40 Soléne (Anne Hathaway) as she initiates a whirlwind romance with 24-year-old boy band member Hayes Campell (Nicholas Galitzine). Once the pair’s relationship becomes public, they must deal with the aftermath in both their public and private lives.
While the plot seems like it should gear toward a younger audience, this R-rated rom-com is not for the faint of heart. Although the film’s subject matter seems like something a 13-year-old would think up, it actually strives to tell a tale of female empowerment and regaining control of one’s agency later in life. Additionally, considering its adult content, this film appeals to more than just a young teen audience.
This film’s script proves perfectly serviceable, and while it’s nothing to write home about, the performances from Hathaway and Galitzine elevate it past mediocrity. On their own, some lines can land cringey and uncomfortable, but the two leads really sell the cheesiness, which can win over audiences quite easily. The pair’s chemistry and banter also alleviates pacing issues and makes dull moments a little easier to bear.
Thematically, the film takes a stab at critiquing paparazzi and stan culture. It brings compelling arguments about a public figure’s right to a private relationship while displaying how mass audiences and tabloid culture can tarnish a celebrity’s reputation against their will, as well as the reputation of anyone who they choose to engage in a relationship with.
The film also addresses the double standard in age-gap relationships, making the argument that if men can initiate romantic entanglements with women several years their junior, women should be able to do the same. This sentiment falls apart, however, when one considers that perhaps no 40-year-old, man or woman, should initiate a relationship with someone 16 years younger than them.
The parts of the film that prove hardest to sit through come from anytime a character sings or dances. When audiences see Hayes with his band August Moon on stage singing to Soléne backstage, it can prove difficult to suppress a reminder of Ryan Gosling singing and playing guitar at Margot Robbie in last year’s summer blockbuster “Barbie.”
While the plot of “The Idea of You” seems immature upon a first glance, audiences will quickly realize that the performances from Hathaway and Galitzine save the film from falling too far into its own cheesiness. Viewers looking for a passionate romance between attractive and talented actors should give this a spin.
3 wristwatch motifs out of 5.
