Anne Hathaway & Nicholas Galitzine’s Steamy Chemistry Elevates New Rom-Com

Michael Showalter’s The Idea of You is a bittersweet tale of inconvenient love that emotionally pierces you in all the ways modern romantic comedies should. Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by actress and author Robinne Lee, the rom-com recounts the love affair between a 40-year-old single mother and a 24-year-old lead singer of a popular boy band. Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine star in this story full of love, tears, and adventure. Their chemistry is so delightful and steamy, making you cheer on their love from the minute they share their first kiss.

When Solène must step in to chaperone her teenage daughter’s trip to the Coachella Music Festival after her ex bails at the last minute, she has a chance encounter with Hayes and there is an instant, undeniable spark. As they begin a whirlwind romance, it isn’t long before Hayes’ superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship.

Pros

• The chemistry between Hathaway and Galitzine is the film’s highlight.
• The quieter, human moments is the film’s strength.
• The script effectively balances emotion and comedy.

Cons

• The film isn’t as realistic as it needs to be in obvious moments.
• The band moments are lackluster when it comes to stage production.

The Idea of You Is At Its Best During Quiet, Human Connections

Solène Marchand (Hathaway) is a recent divorcee who lives in her Los Angeles home with her teenage daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin). In an attempt to recenter, Solène makes plans to go on a solo camping trip while ex-husband Daniel (Reid Scott) takes their daughter and friends to Coachella. As in typical rom-com fashion, fate interrupts Solène’s plans, and she must take Izzy to the music festival for a meet-and-greet with August Moon, the world’s biggest boy band. When she ends up in the trailer of lead singer Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), sparks fly immediately, and Solène’s world is turned upside down.

Showalter wrote the screenplay alongside screenwriting partner Jennifer Westfeldt. While it chronicles a whirlwind relationship between two unlikely lovers, its charm is in the quieter moments when we can better understand Solène and Hayes as individuals. Solène is a woman who values art and its deeper connection to the human experience. When she isn’t selling the latest samples at her gallery, she spends time with Izzy or reexamines her life at 40. These interactions are when The Idea of You is at its best: Solène with her family or friends instead of sulking around the house about her ex’s infidelities.

The Idea Of You’s Script Can Be Silly, But Hathaway & Galitzine’s Chemistry Makes It Worth Watching

The actors have sizzling onscreen moments

These quieter moments are sprinkled throughout and emphasize the film’s key message about getting older. It’s less about age and more about gaining a breadth of new experiences in a different state of mind. But while this message is the story’s strength, the unrealistic occurrences get a bit more challenging to support. As an example, once Hayes and Solène dive deep into their relationship, it takes a while for the paparazzi to catch on to their romance. Conceptually, it doesn’t make sense, especially since Hayes is supposed to be one of the most popular celebrities in this setting.

Ignoring this silly script mishap, there’s still one major problem I had with The Idea of You. With August Moon apparently being the biggest pop boy band in the world, their performances and concert productions felt lackluster and cheap. It’s a shame considering the songs were quite catchy. But if the movie’s trying to convince us of their celebrity and popularity, it should come with a bit more pizzazz. Of course, this is just a nitpick. The real star of this film is Hathaway and Galitzine’s chemistry. Their adoring interactions and affections felt natural and reason enough to see the film.

A convincingly sweet tale about an unlikely pairing, The Idea of You is a romantic comedy that makes you believe in even the most unrealistic love stories. Showalter and Westfeldt demonstrate their ability to bring Lee’s bombastic romance to life with sincerity and attention to the story components that matter. Where the film lacks realism and sense, it is made up entirely by Hathaway and Galitzine’s sensational chemistry. This delightful and steamy rom-com is the kind of storytelling fans of the genre can be proud of. Thanks to some key emotional messaging, I wouldn’t be surprised if fans found themselves watching this on repeat.