Well…where do I begin? This film had me unapologetically slouching down in my cinema seat hiding, while I sobbed like a baby. And I wasn’t alone, my friend, plus several other members of the audience were seemingly inconsolable, so a little heads up - pack some tissues!
I am a sucker for romance and was not sure how this film would be, but oh boyyy, it was the film my soppy heart needed. The film is based on the best-selling novel by JoJo Moyes and directed by Augustine Frizzell. I was obsessed with Jojo Moyes’s last novel ‘Me Before You’, so I knew there was no doubt I was going to love this one too.
It tells two interwoven stories that are set in the past and the present. One story is focused on a young ambitious features journalist, Ellie (Felicity Jones), and archivist Rory (Naabhaan Rizwan). Ellie is researching the archives for an obituary, while the two stumble upon love letters between a forbidden young couple from the 1960s. They aim to find all the letters and then try to find out if the two past lovers are still together. The movie then goes back in time to show the blossoming story of these two lovers, and it really does pull at the heartstrings!
I am obsessed with the casting, which is made up of two fabulous leading ladies, Felicity Jones and Shailene Woodley. I swear these incredible ladies can be in anything and I will watch them. They simply just ooze beauty and class. The men that graced the screen and wowed us with their dreamy looks are Callum Turner (Anthony O’Hare), Joe Alwyn (Laurence Stirling), and (already mentioned) Nabhann Rizwan. I am not going to lie ladies and gents; I could stare at Callum Turner ALL day. Damn!
But back to the task in hand, the review! In short, I loved this film from beginning to end. The opening scene with a quite hungover and disorientated Ellie on a classic ‘walk of shame’ as she leaves an unknown man’s apartment after a one-night stand is comedy gold. The poor fella continuously corrects her as she keeps calling him the wrong names. This opening scene immediately creates an über relatable character and gives a feel of her being just an everyday, modern girl.
The style in the film from the 1960s is something that I was obsessed with, there were so many gorgeous looks that Shailene effortlessly pulled off. I LOVED IT ALL. From the Jackie O headscarf to the tweed skirt and blazer suits, to the pastels, the tea dresses - all amazing! Oh how I wish I was born in the ‘60s. And let’s add to that wish and say 1960s southern France please!
But while I wasn’t able to travel back to the beautiful South of France this summer, the movie effortlessly transported me there and gave me all the holiday feels, with the stunning 1960’s French Riviera backdrop and oh such picturesque views.
Now just to give you a heads up, SPOILER ALERT!
As a hopeless romantic, I could not have been happier to have been treated to not one, but two blossoming romances in the film. And two for the price of one is always a good thing, right?
The dark autumn nights are creeping in, so get down to the cinema now and switch off for the best part of two hours, then thank me later. 😊
10/10 would recommend to a friend