I'm Finally Ready to Review 'The Idea of You'

After watching the trailer for 'A Family Affair,' I’m finally ready to speak my truth about the rom-com every critic is talking about.

I needed some time to process The Idea of You, a film that I fast realized, like Red, White & Royal Blue before it, had a possessed and impassioned following who regarded it as bible from the moment it was first announced. This is a critical bit of context because it explains why this film has been mostly written and spoken about with a level of respectability it might otherwise not have had it not been led by Anne Hathaway (remember she wanted us to call her Annie?), now comfortably with the Hatha-hate era nearly erased from the canon, having effectively clawed her way from theater kid (derogatory) to thespian (revered). In that sense, her presence both elevates the work… and hinders it. 

I think this speaks for itself.

Did I enjoy the film? Yes. Did I love the film the way most others in the theater seemed to? Not exactly. But that overzealous response led me to a fascination with where this film sits within the zeitgeist. Critics have largely gotten behind this movie. The New Yorker: “Anne Hathaway is a vision of relatability, self-sufficiency, and poise, in a film that proves the rom-com isn’t dead.” Peter Travers for ABC News: “Somehow sensational Anne Hathaway and swoony Nicholas Galitzine make the cliches dance, bringing humor, heat and unexpected heart to a fantasy for daydream believers.” The New York Times: “It was clear about 10 minutes into the movie that what was required for enjoyment was to surrender to the daydreaming, and so, with very little internal protest, I did. How could I resist?” Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson (my favorite film critic): “The Idea of You is glossy and smart, a cut above the slop so often served to its intended audience.”

But what did I think? Turns out, a lot!