Bookshelf Battle

They hate each other AND love each other?

What wacky nonsense is this?

BQB here with a review of this fun rom-com.

Romantic comedies. You either love them or you hate them. By and large, I usually hate them. They’re cheap. They’re dumb. They’re cliche. They’re the same old movie over and over again. But I have to admit, this one grew on me. It was cute. It was charming. What can I say? I liked it.

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell star as a duo who two years ago, had one fabulous date where they fell madly in love. Alas, through a comedically tragic misunderstanding, they accidentally offended one another and vowed to despise each other for the rest of their days. Normally, such a situation wouldn’t be a problem except, as it turns out, it’s a small world after all, and they each share a mutual connection (she a sister and he a friend) to a couple about to get married in an Australian destination wedding.

So, off they go to Aussieland. They vow to be adults about it and not let their mutual disdain ruin the wedding. The barbs they trade are hilarious indeed. Hijinx ensue. For various reasons, let’s just say to get the wedding party off their backs, they pretend to actually be in love and well, from there I’ll let you watch the rest of the film on your own.

There’s no other way to say it. Sydney Sweeney is adorable. She’s beautiful, but also oozes with cuteness. She’s the hot girl who wouldn’t totally eviscerate you when she turns you down. She’d ask if you’re alright and give you cab fare, maybe even suggest a few self-help books for you to read while you lick your wounds.

Glen Powell’s abs are the true star of the show and holy shit, does that MFer make me wish that in my youth, I’d done more sit ups and less pizza chomps. You know how every dude says they wish they were as hot as Chris Hemsworth? I think in a few more movies, Powell’s going to give Hemsworth a run for his money as the male physical specimen standard.

Based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with several references to the play thrown in, the film doubles as an homage to the bard’s play, some might say the very first romantic comedy that started it all and gave us all the romcom tropes that we know and love or hate today.

Speaking of tropes, Dermot Mulroney stars as the bride’s dad because it wouldn’t be a rom-com about a wedding if Dermot Mulroney wasn’t the father of the bride. Meanwhile, if you’re old enough, you might recognize the other dad as Aussie actor Bryan Brown, star of the 1980s movie F/X about a Hollywood special effects artist charged by the FBI to fake a witness’ death only to be doublecrossed, blamed for it and have to go on the run.

STATUS: Shelf-worthy.