<p>A chance encounter between two young people with different temperaments, a “good friends only” phase, vacations to stunning locations, and eventually misunderstandings rearing their head — that’s Alex Nilsen and Poppy Wright for you. </p>.<p>Based on a bestseller of the same name written by Emily Henry, the film is your archetypal romcom, bringing to mind films of the same genre. Think ‘It Happened One Night’, the ‘Before’ series or better still, ‘When Harry Met Sally’. In fact, director Brett Haley has stated that he was inspired by writer Nora Ephron, who wrote, among other things, the 1989 classic, ‘When Harry met Sally’ (director Rob Reiner). </p>.<p>Plot-wise, Alex and Poppy promise to meet each other and travel every year, no matter what. The film takes us through their different trips non-linearly, including Barcelona, where Alex’s brother David is set to get married. </p>.<p>Tom Blyth (of the 2023 Hunger Games movie fame) and American actress Emily Bader play their parts but there’s not much to write home about there. Emily Bader has, in interviews, stated that she channeled Meg Ryan for her role as Poppy, but looks like there’s still work to do on that front. The film has all the elements that one should look for in a romcom but it still feels like a bit of a slog. All the pop philosophising, with lines like, “there’s a thin line between searching and running away,” doesn’t salvage the film. Watch, if only, for the breeziness and lightness of touch it brings early on.</p>
<p>A chance encounter between two young people with different temperaments, a “good friends only” phase, vacations to stunning locations, and eventually misunderstandings rearing their head — that’s Alex Nilsen and Poppy Wright for you. </p>.<p>Based on a bestseller of the same name written by Emily Henry, the film is your archetypal romcom, bringing to mind films of the same genre. Think ‘It Happened One Night’, the ‘Before’ series or better still, ‘When Harry Met Sally’. In fact, director Brett Haley has stated that he was inspired by writer Nora Ephron, who wrote, among other things, the 1989 classic, ‘When Harry met Sally’ (director Rob Reiner). </p>.<p>Plot-wise, Alex and Poppy promise to meet each other and travel every year, no matter what. The film takes us through their different trips non-linearly, including Barcelona, where Alex’s brother David is set to get married. </p>.<p>Tom Blyth (of the 2023 Hunger Games movie fame) and American actress Emily Bader play their parts but there’s not much to write home about there. Emily Bader has, in interviews, stated that she channeled Meg Ryan for her role as Poppy, but looks like there’s still work to do on that front. The film has all the elements that one should look for in a romcom but it still feels like a bit of a slog. All the pop philosophising, with lines like, “there’s a thin line between searching and running away,” doesn’t salvage the film. Watch, if only, for the breeziness and lightness of touch it brings early on.</p>