The Idea of You movie review: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine's rom-com is more functional than frothy

The Idea of You movie review: Anne Hathaway has made a career out of romantic comedies, from The Princess Diaries to Love & Other Drugs. But she's always picked roles that represent the stage of womanhood she's in. Michael Showalter casts Anne in his new movie as a 40-year-old single mother. And Anne lives it like the romantic adventure it could've been – if she'd have been single in real life now, and would've fallen in love with a 24-year-old popstar.

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Adapted from Robinne Lee's 2017 bestseller, The Idea of You revolves around Solene (Anne), an art gallery owner in California who lives with her 16-year-old daughter, whom she co-parents with her ex-husband, who now lives with a much younger girlfriend with whom he cheated on her when they were married. That's a lot to take for any woman, particularly Solene, who confesses she has trust issues. For her to pursue a heady romance with Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine), a wildly popular boy band vocalist is no small act of rebellion and reconciliation.

How they meet is nothing short of a high school romance. She reluctantly accompanies her daughter and her friends to Coachella after her ex-husband bails out last minute. Right before that, Solene was heading out for solo camping – an adventure she's never embarked upon. The scenes in which Anne is on her own reek of loneliness and self-imposed captivity. For her to then dive into Coachella and shut her ears when fangirls scream for their favourite bands is so boomer-like that it's funny, relatable, and sad at the same time.

Her chemistry with Nicholas is easy and steamy, as and when required. When their rendezvous switches from the frantic, iridescent realm of Coachella to the faint, muted world of her art gallery, it reflects the stark difference in their lifestyles and life stages. Her idea of a date is to go out since she spends most of her time within the confines of her home. His idea of the same is a refrigerator cleaning spree-cum-sandwich treat at her place or a movie night-cum-room service in his hotel room. Why? Because he's too famous to step out anywhere without getting mobbed.

Like any real love story, The Idea of You also has a two-part journey to fulfilment – the lovers must first come to terms with how their partners genuinely are, instead of loving their perception of each other, the titular “idea of you.” The idea of romancing a rockstar in his early 20s lets Solene enjoy the youth she never had – she got married right out of college after an unplanned pregnancy. The idea of romancing a 40-year-old art dealer gives Hayes the much-needed gravitas and stability in his otherwise hormonal whirlwind of a career. Only when his reality clashes with her idea of him does their romance waver.

Once they're past that, comes an even more significant challenge – owning their romance in front of the world and not letting their fears get validated by external speculation. Given societal pressures, it's rebellious for a woman to love a much younger man. Take the flak Priyanka Chopra got, for example. But like Nick Jonas, she's also a public figure. It's another rebellion to love a much younger public figure when all you are used to is an everyday family life. Romantic rebellion in the modern world entails PDA without giving any heed to the world, deactivating all social media.

But when the chatter outside amplifies the voices in your head, you go back to where you started. Solene and Nicholas, despite bridging the gaps between their experiences, past traumas, lifestyles, and priorities, encounter a dead end because it's probably not the right time for their romance. The Idea of You thus casts a very pragmatic lens on the proceedings – it suggests you wait it out if the world weighs heavily on the love – for it would ease out with time. It's indeed a valid worldview which many may find relatable. But we want our rom-coms to transcend relatability – we like them frothy, slightly impossible, with a little bit of magic.

The fact that Anne Hathaway still looks like that teenage girl looking for romance may have set those expectations. But here, she also brings an added layer of lived-in ache and wisdom, showcasing her versatility as an actor. Watch her when she cries after coming to terms with her sacrifice and resigning to her fate. Or when she chokes up recalling how she forgave her ex-husband for infidelity only to see him walk away from their marriage, silently. With age, Anne has been able to retain her youth and effervescence, but also use her experience of life to broaden her range as an actor, even within the framework of a romantic comedy.

Nicholas is charming and promising, and holds his own in front of the powerhouse of a co-star. Special props to Siddhartha Khosla for designing the film's soundscape, finding the sweet spot between music and silence, between his bubblegum pop and her Fiona Apple art rock. Michael Showalter, known for helming The Big Sick (2017), tells another romance rooted in reality. But rom-com buffs would wish he'd have a little bit more fun with it. We love the idea of this Anne Hathaway rom-com more than the movie itself.

The Idea of You is now streaming on Prime Video.