Love Again Reviews

Love Again, a romantic comedy written and directed by James C. Strouse, unfortunately, falls flat in terms of character development, storytelling, and any cinematic quality. The film follows Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) as she grapples with the loss of her fiancé by sending romantic text messages to his old phone number, now assigned to journalist Rob Burns (Sam Heughan). Rob is drawn to Mira's beautifully written texts and seeks to meet her in person. With the help of Celine Dion, whom Rob is assigned to write a feature on, he sets out to win Mira's affection and support her in her journey to heal and love again, as she opens up about her struggles with grief. Unfortunately, one of the most significant issues with the film is the lack of chemistry between the lead actors, which arguably is the best part in rom-coms. Jonas and Heughan struggle to connect on screen, leaving their scenes feeling forced and unnatural. The side characters and Nick Jonas's unexpected cameo offer some moments of humor, but ultimately, the audience is left disinterested in the central love story. Additionally, the cinematography and editing do the bare minimum and are uninspired, with even a forgotten boom shot in the final cut. When it comes to lighting choices, like the storyline, they're painfully predictable and lacking any creative flair. However, the score, centered around Dion's music, is one of the only redeeming quality. While Dion's presence is refreshing and arguably essential to the film, her vulnerability and quirkiness doesn't sufficiently elevate the overall movie.The film's portrayal of today's culture is underdeveloped, which is a shame because there's a great opportunity to explore the complexities of loving again after significant grief, that the film only skims the surface of. For what it's worth, there were some refreshing moments. The main one being a woman of color in the lead role of a conventional romantic comedy. But with that the film could've gone even deeper into themes of identity and cultural representation, but instead, it relies too heavily on metaphors and predictable plotlines.Love Again is a movie that fails to leave a lasting impression on the viewer. The film's predictable writing and elementary storytelling, lack of character depth, and unremarkable acting drowns in a crowded sea of films in the genre. While Celine Dion's score and presence are admirable, they are not enough to save the film from its overall mediocrity. Love Again may be enjoyable for those looking for a typical or traditional romantic comedy, but it does not offer the originality needed to be considered a standout film.