Any Film but You

Grilled cheese paves a surefire path into any person’s heart — especially with gobs of butter and layers of Gruyere, white cheddar, and Muenster to build a great crust and a deliciously gooey cheese center . And when you have a star like Glen Powell wiping crumbs off the corner of your mouth, you really couldn’t ask for a better night. 

Well, I can.

The box office success and subsequent re-release in theaters of Anyone but You alerts that there is still an aching need for romantic comedies. After all, it’s one of the pillar genres of film and storytelling. Audiences are desperate for a cute, witty couple to fall from bitter enemies to casual lovers. 

Although the movie offered a pleasant and, at times, predictable plot, the story itself never made a true impact on me. And much like that poor forsaken-after-one-bite grilled cheese, many of the typical rom-com cliches within the film are left without conclusion. 

Many times, I thought the dialogue and the zany situations would subvert the common trope and result in a refreshing laugh. Instead, the film played their audiences safely, which implies that either audiences are desperate for something new out of their movies and are willing to push success on a mediocre film or the benchmark for a successful rom-com has been diluted from waves of Wattpad Studios productions and Christmas Hallmark marathons.

Either way, apart from watching the film on a plane or as a wine night treat, Anyone but You blends 109 minutes into an enjoyable, but entirely forgettable time.