Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sonoya Mizuno, Kiersey Clemons, Jermaine Fowler
Directors: Stephanie Allynne, Tig Notaro
Country: USA
UK Distributor: Warner Bros Pictures Max
Best friends Lucy (Johnson – Fifty Shades franchise, Suspiria) and Jane (Mizuno – House Of The Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians) are totally co-dependent. They do everything together; dining out, yoga classes, weekends together. But when Jane reveals that she has been given a promotion at work that will see her relocate to London, Lucy begins to fall apart, unable to process her friend’s imminent departure at the same time as she questions her sexuality, developing feelings for a colleague (Clemons – Justice League, The Flash).
Sweet, light and comedic, this is a feel-good chick flick the benefits greatly from a well-written script that, though not laden with gags, is full of sarcastic one-liners and observational silliness. Add to that its leads’ palpable chemistry in a pair of very charming performances and you get a very relatable film about sisterhood. It isn’t cheesy or heavy-handed, but just plays out their emotional crisis without making it seem too grandiose… although maybe the title – and poster – do make it seem a little heavier than it actually is.
This is the kind of glossy idealism that American cinema is famous for and both Lucy and Jane are exactly the type of supportive, fun and positive young women that anyone would want as their friends. The supporting cast are positively irritating in comparison, though there is a somewhat gleeful cameo from Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) as Jane’s very particular boss.
While there’s nothing particularly original or even memorable about this film, what it does it does exceptionally well. Saccharine escapism with a great big heart, this is a warm hug of a movie that feels like a cupcake for the soul. And it even managed to make Dakota Johnson really likeable! Who knew?
UK Release: Out now to stream on NOW
Comments