MOVIE REVIEW: ANYONE BUT YOU

 

Despite an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's initial attraction quickly turns sour. However, when they unexpectedly find themselves at a destination wedding in Australia, they pretend to be the perfect couple to keep up appearances.

Director: Will Gluck

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, Rachel Griffiths

Release Date: December 22, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Rated R for language throughout, sexual content and brief graphic nudity.

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

Anyone but You is a fairly paint by the numbers rom-com that toys with being a raunchier romp before settling into the usual genre clichés that we've seen plenty of times before.  To his credit, Will Gluck delivers a slick looking, breezy film that unabashedly uses Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing as its basic template while occasionally lifting full lines of dialogue from the play.   It’s an interesting choice that never works since those moments are played off as a running joke with the characters stating they just made up the rather robust bit of dialogue lifted from the Bard.  It would have been an interesting approach if they'd leaned into it instead of just sporadically shoehorning it randomly with little pretext or payoff.  The film does something similar with its random forays into raunchy territory while never committing to it.  Paired with the random Shakespearean lines, the film never finds its own flow or rhythm since everything in between is overly familiar and broad.  Gluck has proven capable of making a memorable genre film like Emma Stone's Easy A but this film relies far too heavily on tired tropes.  It’s a shame since the cast seems up for pretty much anything especially the overly attractive onscreen couple.  Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell are clearly having fun with the material which makes the film an easy watch even if decidedly forgettable.  Sweeney and Powell have solid chemistry, but you never buy the fact that the characters supposedly have a certain level of disdain for each other which makes it readily apparent they'll end up together.  The supporting cast is made up of familiar faces like Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Michelle Hurd and Bryan Brown but the film doesn't take advantage of the talent instead being mostly satisfied with them delivering broad strokes of comedy.  It all leaves Anyone but You as a passable but forgettable rom-com that could have been far more memorable.

C

Movie Reviews: AUSTRALIA

Saturday, November 29, 2008
Movie Reviews: AUSTRALIA
IN THEATERS

An English aristocrat inherits an Australian ranch the size of Maryland. When English cattle barons plot to take her land, she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn cattle driver to drive 2,000-head of cattle across hundreds of miles of the country's most unforgiving land, only to still face the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese forces that had attacked Pearl Harbor only months earlier.

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Opened November 26, 2008

Runtime: 2 hr. 45 min.

Rated PG-13 for some violence, a scene of sensuality, and brief strong language

Genres: War Adventure, Adventure

Review:

Baz Lurhrman has never been the type of director to do anything small and subtle; Australia is as large a film as the continent it's named after. A throwback to films like Giant, Gone with the Wind and Out of Africa, Lurhman's new film is unabashedly excessive. It's a massive film that's filled with enough melodrama to cover a few films. Still, once the emotional points come its surprisingly effective at pulling those Visually, Lurhrman gives us a cornucopia of feast for the eyes. Massive wide shot of the wonderful Australian landscape are peppered throughout this film. Sadly, Lurhrman overuses CGI so bad it's hard not to be jarred by it. Equally shoddy is the script that borders on parody, mostly at the start, at times. That being said, it's effective enough to do the job. This is due mostly to the fine cast assembled here. Jackman and Kidman play their broad characters extremely well which are helped by their wonderful on screen chemistry. Jackman brings an old school masculinity to his character but keeps him from falling off the handle and turning into a cartoon. Kidman works her way into her role becoming more and more comfortable as the film moves along. Brandon Walters more than holds his own against these big screen titans giving his character Nullah more depth than most young actors could. Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil hovers over the film like a watchful deity. Running close to 3 hours this is the type of film that will either grab you from the start or turn you off. The start is a bit bumpy as we are given very broad slapstick humor in it's first act but by the second and third act it gets it's footing a bit more. By then of course you will have either loved the ride or loathed the tedium. Tonal and plot points shift throughout the entire film and it could make for a maddening experience if you allow it. Still, one can't ignore Luhrmann talent and his grandiose style has always been enjoyable to me. Australia is an experience and its sweeping epic romance may not be for everyone but if you dare give it a chance you may find much to enjoy here.

B