The Reel Review
A 40-year-old art dealer gets more than she bargained for after a chance meeting at Coachella with the 24-year-old lead singer of one of the world’s biggest boy bands leads to a passionate, romantic relationship. Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue) star in this Amazon rom/com based on Robinne Lee’s 2017 best-selling novel.
At its heart, The Idea of You is about the horrible invasion of privacy that comes with dating a celebrity, as well as shining a mirror on the hypocritical double standard of people being okay with older men/younger women relationships while having an issue when the roles are reversed. Its introspective exploration of ageism, sexism and trust issues is commendable, although the initial meet cute is a bit far-fetched – as if a stranger could really just mistake a performer’s trailer for a port-a-potty.
Hathaway and Galitzine also do an excellent job making the premise believable, despite thinly-drawn characters that we never REALLY get to know. Writer/director Michael Showalter again does just as he’s done with his other films Spoiler Alert, and The Big Sick, giving his story a lot of heart and a really nice soundtrack. Well done.
REEL FACTS
• Fans have speculated that the fictional story is based on Harry Styles, the former One Direction singer who dated Olivia Wilde, who is ten years older than him.
• The movie’s ending is different than the book, which has Solene acknowledging that she never really loved Hayes and was just using him.
• Although set in Los Angeles, The Idea of You was filmed in Atlanta and Savannah.
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