In a cinematic landscape replete with remakes and sequels, “Anyone But You” makes a charming bid for the affection of audiences by invoking the essence of a bygone era in film with an alleged nod to one of literature’s greats, William Shakespeare. Ostensibly drawing inspiration from Shakespeare’s enduring comedy “Much Ado About Nothing,” the movie graces the romantic comedy genre with a timeless patina, reminiscent of classic onscreen pairings and tales of misadventures in love.
“Anyone But You,” resolutely rooted in the 2020s, manages to evoke a nostalgia that harks back to the genre’s heyday in the 1990s. Punctuated with the genre’s hallmarks, such as the fated meet-cute, the film forgoes the trappings of modern techno-romance characterized by social media entanglements, opting instead for heartfelt conversations and intimate connections that unfold over time and shared space.
The story serendipitously begins with Beatrice—Bea for short, a dedicated law student portrayed by Sydney Sweeney—encountering the amiable Ben, played by Glen Powell, amidst the banality of a coffee shop setting. As they exchange words, laughter, and eventually fall asleep together in deep conversation, their connection seems destined. Yet, daylight breaks, misunderstandings arise, and the bond they formed is seemingly severed, leaving them to follow separate paths.
Fate, as it is known in both Shakespeare’s works and rom-coms, is not easily deterred. The intertwining of lives continues as we discover that Bea’s sister Halle (Hadley Robinson) and Ben’s best friend Pete’s (GaTa) sister Claudia (Alexandra Shipp) are soon to be wed. The destination wedding in Sydney, at the home of Pete’s parents, Carol (Michelle Hurd) and Roger (Bryan Brown), inadvertently reunites Bea and Ben under circumstances laced with comedic and dramatic potential.
Expect the unexpected as the wedding brings together not just family members but past relationships as well. Bea’s parents, played by Dermot Mulroney and Rachel Griffiths, cling to the hope of her rekindling romance with her erstwhile “perfect” fiancé, Jonathan (Darren Barnet), while Ben faces the whims of fate with the return of his former love, Margaret (Charlee Fraser), who is now seemingly entangled with Beau (Joe Davidson), the prototypical surfer.
To navigate their emotional labyrinth and familial expectations, Bea and Ben hatch a plan predicated on the oldest of pretenses: feigning a romantic relationship. In the comedic whirlwind that ensues, moments of miscommunication, the nettlesome chaos of love triangles, and the grandeur of grand romantic gestures coalesce, culminating in a sequence of events involving a squashed wedding cake and an audacious helicopter ride to the Opera House.
One might argue that “Anyone But You” does not seek to reinvent the genre but rather to rekindle its flame. The film’s magnetism owes much to the undeniable chemistry between Sweeney and Powell, complemented by strong supporting roles from Bryan Brown and Michelle Hurd. Darren Barnet adds a visual allure, while Joe Davidson provides a measure of comedic relief amidst all the romantic turmoil.
Delightfully old-fashioned in sentiment and execution, “Anyone But You” is a film that serves as an homage to the bygone romantic cinematic experiences, where the grandeur of a gesture and the purity of dialogue once governed the affairs of the heart. If you’re in search of escapism that feels both familiar and refreshing, this film is currently showing in theaters near you, offering an affectionate embrace from a genre that continues to remind us of the enduring allure of love, miscommunication, and reconciliation in the dance of romance.
