DAVID ADAMS watches ‘Love Again’…
Love Again (AU – M/UK – 12A/US – PG-13)
In a word: Bouyant
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan star in Love again
Based on a German novel (and film), Text for You, Love Again is an up-beat rom-com about love and the impact of grief and draws on some heavyweight star power in the form of Canadian singer Céline Dion to give it some oomph.
The film follows the story of Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas, of TV series Quantico fame), who suddenly lost the love of her life John (Arinzé Kene), leaving her bereft. Fast forward two years and, with those around her – including her bouncy younger sister Suzy (Sofia Barclay) – telling her it’s time to move on, she decides to take advice of local restauranteur Mo (Omid Djalili), who has a glass of wine with his late wife now and again – and talk to her former love using text messages.
“The main players are likeable, if rather lightweight, and the story does touch, albeit fleetingly, on big issues like loss and the nature of love. And Céline Dion fans will get a kick not only from her music, but from getting a little up-close and personal with the star.”
But her messages to John end up heading to to the new company phone of music critic Rob Burns (Sam Heughan, best known for playing James Fraser in Outlander), which has been assigned John’s old number. Rob has himself sworn off love after his girlfriend jilted him a couple of weeks before they were due to be married.
There’s an added twist in that Rob has been assigned the task of writing a profile of Céline Dion about her new album and tour during the course of which he shares his story with her while she shares the story of her own real-life loss, that of her husband René Angélil in 2016.
Sure, it follows a predictable pattern, is filled with clichés of the genre, has a fair number of rather improbable moments – do they actually do any work at that newspaper?, and largely brushes over ethical questions raised by Rob’s receipt of the text messages sent to John.
But the main players are likeable, if rather lightweight, and the story does touch, albeit fleetingly, on big issues like loss and the nature of love. And Céline Dion fans will get a kick not only from her music, but from getting a little up-close and personal with the star.
While not up to the standard of classics likeYou’ve Got Mail, there’s enough here to keep the audience engaged for a story about the search for love despite the knocks life brings.
