PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF REJECTION
Rom-com sees heroine turns keepsakes from lost loves into an art exhibition... and it might help her find Mr Right
THE abundance of breezy light-hearted charm in this enjoyable escapist New York rom-com is in large part due to the irrepressible screen presence of its engaging star, Geraldine Viswanathan. She was great in 2018’s comedy hit Blockers where she starred as John Cena’s screen daughter, and again she’s delightful here, anchoring the good-natured tale with energetic confidence.
Playing 26-year-old Lucy, she addresses the camera in a confessional manner as she negotiates life in the Big Apple.
Ditzy and a hoarder of sentimental bric-a-brac, Lucy suffers two relationship break-ups in the first 10 minutes and is urged by friends to declutter her life.
Instead she takes her bits and pieces, and those given by others, and creates a public art space she calls the Broken Hearts Gallery. Proving that opposites attract, is the understated presence of Dacre Montgomery as Nick, who’s much more minimalist in his taste.
And, of course, Lucy has a pair of best friends to provide frank sex talk, emotional support and break-up advice. A passion project for actress-turned-producer Selena Gomez, the comedy is skilfully marshalled by writer Natalie
Krinsky in her directorial debut, and her smart script brims with funny lines.
Although she demonstrates a keen eye for the absurdity of obsessive behaviour, Krinsky is kind to a fault to her characters, meaning Utkarsh Ambudkar as Lucy’s ex-boyfriend lacks the bad boy allure of Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones’s Diary.
I enjoyed this but it will speak more loudly to a younger audience. My 20-something niece and her mates will probably love it.