Anyone But You Review: Surprising Reviver for Fading Big Screen Rom-Coms

Romantic comedies have been a Hollywood staple for decades, giving us beloved hits like When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. But in recent years, the mid-budget rom-com has faded from the spotlight. Streaming platforms have pumped out forgettable entries while theaters rarely roll out the red carpet anymore for fizzy relationship romps.

Anyone But You aims to revive the big-screen rom-com glory days. Helmed by genre veteran director Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends With Benefits) and starring two captivating up-and-comers, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, the film oozes potential. As law student Bea and finance bro Ben, Sweeney and Powell showcase crackling chemistry from their meet-cute moment onward. We sense the sparks, even when their characters spiral into mutual hostility.

While the plot borrows loosely from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Anyone But You plants its tongue firmly in cheek. The breezy tone and screwball energy feel tailored to a generation raised on Tinder ventures and delayed adulthood. Gluck astutely caps off the film Down Under, soaking his leads in golden Aussie sunshine as hijinks ensue.

Sweeney departs from her dramatic work in Euphoria to showcase surprising rom-com chops. Meanwhile, Powell builds on his 2018 breakout role in Set It Up. Together, they just might resuscitate the romantic comedy pulse several moviegoers have desperately been seeking. Strap in for a fizzy, fast-paced romp.

Sitcom-Style Story stuffed with Mishaps

In signature rom-com fashion, Anyone But You wastes no time launching into a meet-cute between leads Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. As struggling law student Bea, Sweeney wanders into an obnoxious LA coffee shop, only to catch the eye of finance bro Ben (Powell). He playfully poses as her husband to help Bea access the restroom. Sweet-talking soon gives way to all-night conversation at Ben’s bachelor pad, where romantic sparks fly but insecurities linger.

The next morning, a panicked Bea abruptly splits while Ben sleeps, only to almost immediately regret her decision. When she returns to profess her feelings, Bea overhears a freshly-wounded Ben trash-talking her to his buddy Pete (GaTa). Both characters write each other off for good…or so they think.

Months later at a bar, they awkwardly reunite, realizing they share connections to Halle (Hadley Robinson) and Claudia (Alexandra Shipp)—two buds planning a destination wedding in Australia. Ben hopes to make his globe-trotting ex Margaret (Charlee Fraser) jealous by bringing a hot date. Meanwhile, Bea wants to avoid renewed romance with her parent-preferred ex Jonathan (Darren Barnet).

As the wedding nears, their constant clashing threatens to dampen festivities. So the brides and groomsmen conspire to rekindle Ben and Bea’s flame. Annoyed by the transparent ploy, Ben and Bea pretend to be a couple themselves to get everyone off their backs. But as they act out affection, legitimate feelings develop alongside comedic catastrophes.

During a cliffside picnic, Ben strips naked to remove a giant creeping spider, leaving the couple awkwardly exposed. At the yacht rehearsal dinner, a nostalgic Bea recreates the Titanic pose with Ben—a cringey moment for the cynical finance bro. Even the wedding day downpour cascades into chaos as Ben attempts a soggy, ill-fated dash to profess his love.

By the closing moments, the mutual hostility finally dissolves for Bea and Ben. Having broken through each other’s heavily-fortified emotional walls, they come to embrace their flawed humanity…and the blossoming adoration that flows freely beneath.

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Sweeney and Powell: Winning Chemistry Carries the Film

Anyone But You lives or dies based on the dynamism of its lead duo—a pressure test passed withflying colors by Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. As Bea and Ben, their on-screen chemistry and comedic capabilities single-handedly elevate otherwise mediocre material. Audiences instantly root for these flawed characters to set aside their hostilities to find love.

Sweeney notably sheds her dramatic skin following intense work in The White Lotus and Euphoria. Transitioning to a lead rom-com role could easily have induced tonal whiplash. But Sweeney joueur embodies the part smoothly while revealing latent talents the script demands. With sad, searching eyes, she captures the melancholy and uncertainty haunting Bea, a young woman struggling to find herself despite an army of voices shouting directions.

When the performance calls for farce, Sweeney ably handles physical comedy without ego. She showcases witty reactions playing against Powell’s masculine bravado, while navigating wardrobe mishaps without vanity. A clear highlight involves Bea awkwardly addressing a malfunctioning restroom sink as a distracted Ben prattles on obliviously outside.

As Ben, Powell represents a throwback to the scruffy yet polished Clooney/McConaughey rom-com heartthrobs of yore. He squeezes into the stereotypical finance brouniform impeccably while parading his character’s emotional immaturity and faux-intellectualism. But beneath the surface, Powell lets us glimpse the wounded boy still reeling from past relationship wounds and achievement pressures.

When the script pushes towards farce, Powell embraces the laughs fully. His facial reactions and nimble physicality milk the humor in emasculating moments, whether stripped naked on a clifftop or flopping through a painfully unsexy sprint in the rain. For an actor who could easily lean on detached cool, Powell exhibits admirable courage.

Together on-screen, Sweeney and Powell simply sizzle—no surprise given tabloid gossip suggesting off-screen sparks too during production. The camera adores both performers individually but catches fire trained on their verbal sparring contests. For much of the film, their crackling enemies-to-lovers energy substitutes sufficiently where comically thin supporting characters fall short. Ultimately their compelling dynamic launches Anyone But You over its own scripted shortcomings into mostly enjoyable territory.

Underwhelming Supporting Roles Lean Too Heavily on Tropes

While powered by its compelling lead duo, Anyone But You unfortunately introduces a supporting cast full of flat stereotypes who rarely transcend their superficial character labels. The parents, rivals, and best pals who orbit around Bea and Ben boast impressive acting chops but struggle valiantly with thin comedic material.

As Bea’s overbearing mother and father, rom-com veterans Dermot Mulroney and Rachel Griffiths find themselves saddled with the stock worried parent routine. They nag their daughter towards law school and reconciliation with nice-guy ex Jonathan (Darren Barnet) despite her wishes. Beyond serving as nags, neither Mulroney nor Griffith exhibit discernible personalities in their scant screen time.

Barnet likewise barely registers as the ostensible rival for Bea’s heart, the safe childhood sweetheart her parents prefer. The script calls Jonathan perfect on paper, but Barnet leans too credibly into bland nice guy territory. When he reappears in Australia, allegedly still carrying a torch for Bea, the revelation barely elicits a shrug.

On Ben’s side, stunning Australian model Charlee Fraser also gets short-shifted as the globetrotting ex who wounded his pride. She personifies a name and allure for Ben to theoretically pursue but lacks depth or genuine magnetism beyond her appearance. Fraser’s Margaret serves a plot function but fails to create credible romantic tension with Powell’s Ben in practice.

The supporting standout emerges as eccentric bromantic wingman Pete, played endearingly by American rapper GaTa. With gangly energy and stoner-dude chill, his loyalty and conspiracy theories give Ben’s recklessness the occasional grounding in reality it sorely needs. GaTa generates laughs while actually seeming invested in Powell’s emotional arc.

Finally, as the brides tying everyone together, Hadley Robinson and Alexandra Shipp fade into the scenery amid so much flashy conflict. They beam happily, bounce between wedding events, and half-heartedly play matchmaker for Ben and Bea. But mostly the affable duo come across as mere rom-com devices rather than fully-realized friends we actively root for.

Gluck’s Direction Energizes but Screenplay Shortcomings Persist

In Anyone But You, director Will Gluck showcases his comfort zone steering breezy, character-driven comedies. He clearly understands the core romantic comedy playbook, leaning into conventions like the meet-cute, the love triangle, and the climactic desperate dash to reunite with a loved one. Gluck checks all the familiar boxes efficiently, if not exactly originally.

Where the direction excels is finding creative ways to subvert tired genre tropes, especially for two irresistibly attractive leads. He serves up regular visual gags poking fun at Ben and Bea’s flawless exteriors, whether plunging Sweeney into pratfalls or relentlessly undressing Powell. The beauty of both actors gets undermined just enough to humanize them.

Gluck also wisely locates the story’s second half in radiant coastal Australia, capturing golden magic hour light amid stunning seaside vistas. The travelogue backdrops reflect Anyone But You’s aspirations as a fantasy escapist romp rather than grounded realism. Gluck understands the texture required and mostly delivers the goods.

If the directions usually hits its marks, the romantic comedy screenplay Gluck co-wrote with Ilana Wolpert doesn’t fully satisfy. The witty banter scenes certainly crackle with screwball energy, including hilariously cutting mutual insults between temporarily star-crossed lovers Bea and Ben. But the actual story mechanics creak clunkily at times.

The head-scratching early contrivance designed merely to split up Sweeney and Powell temporarily would fail any logic test. And the film’s recurring attempts to parallel Shakespearean inspiration Much Ado About Nothing lacks graceful execution. Certain scenes and visual gags trying to force the connection feel eye-rollingly heavy-handed.

That said, Gluck and Wolfman’s script does pen Bea and Ben as more dimensional rom-com protagonists than usual. Their emotional baggage, professional insecurities, and defensive walls add resonance often lacking from superficial genre entries. Grounds for solid acting showcases emerge once Anyone But You stops forcing its Shakespeare agenda and just lets character dynamics unfold.

If rarely transcendent as either comedy or romance, direction and writing exhibit sufficient competence delivering what this formula demands. Only rarely does Anyone But You truly stumble over its own feet—while the third act ultimately sticks the crowd-pleasing landing with aplomb thanks to two irresistible headliners.

Glossy Sheen Courtesy of Sunny Cinematography

From a technical perspective, Anyone But You delivers as a polished mainstream romantic comedy production. The film showcases bright, poppy cinematography drenched in sun-kissed golden hues, lens flares, and saturated colors. Shooting took place on location along the gorgeous Australian Gold Coast, providing production designer Andrew Sanders a diverse palette of beach vistas and swanky coastal estates.

Cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann takes full advantage, capturing sweeping drone shots above crystalline waves and local architecture bathed in flattering morning and magic hour light. The camera equally adores leads Sweeney and Powell thanks to regular tight close-ups highlighting their on-screen rapport. Costume choices complement their already near-perfect beauty with flirty casual ensembles and several revealing dresses.

Ruhlmann’s photography effectively conveys a breezy escapist tone while still finding ways to puncture fantasy occasionally with humorous visual subversion. Quick montage sequences, pop song needle drops, and mad dashes through rainy streets hit familiar rom-com storytelling beats.

Post-production polish smooths over some scripted rough edges through efficient editing locked into a tight 100-minute runtime. The compressed timeline allows Anyone But You to power through muted supporting character moments and occasionally implausible hijinks. The accelerated story momentum keeps eyes locked on Powell and Sweeney’s lively chemistry, which crackles brighter than any shortcomings in set decoration depth or effects ambition.

While rarely visually groundbreaking, technical execution delivers the sunny, propulsive surface-level polish a frothy theatrical romantic comedy requires to succeed.

Cynical Yet Hopeful Lens on Modern Romance

Arriving during peak rom-com renaissance fervor, Anyone But You cleverly tailors genre hallmarks to resonate with millennial and Gen Z perspectives on relationships. The meet-cute unfolds not through contrived violence or insults but via smartphone-enabled connection and communication breakdowns. The story explores hesitancy around traditional relationship milestones like marriage spawned by modern cynicism.

Gluck examines relevant gender dynamics as well by subtly subverting the heteronormative male gaze ingrained in so much Hollywood comedy. Plot contrivances strip attractive finance bro Powell naked repeatedly while sous-chef apprentice Sweeney endures physically comedic wardrobe malfunctions sans ego. Vulnerability emerges less one-sided.

Additionally, Anyone But You confronts communication barriers unique to textually fluent yet emotionally guarded generations. Bea and Ben bond intensely yet hesitate expressing intimacy outside their online comfort zones. Each harbors doubts and defense mechanisms preventing honest connection until late stages of the narrative.

Through this lens, Anyone But You lightly deconstructs the fairy tale notion of guaranteed happily-ever-after endings. As individuals first, Bea and Ben acknowledge finding a suitable partner never marks lifelong relationship security. The climax focuses less on sweeping professions of undying devotion than accepting flawed humanity in oneself and a potential partner.

Yet for all its modern cynicism, Anyone But You retains kernels of classic romantic optimism. Gluck ultimately argues sincerity and courage can overcome reluctance, hurt, and disaffection between two people sharing authentic chemistry. The final act earns its catharsis through characters overcoming internal obstacles to embrace romance rather than external complications keeping them physically apart.

While no generation-defining masterpiece, Anyone But You respects younger viewers enough to peer insightfully at contemporary dating rituals through a familiar storytelling lens. Sweeney and Powell’s embodiment of lead archetypes both grounded in yet seeking escape from 2023 realities perfectly encapsulates current cultural mindsets. The film merits attention as a barometer for rom-com genre evolution with appeal spanning age demographics.

Imperfect Yet Promising Crowd-Pleasing Revival

Viewed through a lens of modest ambitions, Anyone But You emerges as a frothy, enjoyable romantic comedy well-timed to market nostalgia. The film likely won’t completely resuscitate a fading genre, but it moves the needle appreciably thanks to effervescent lead chemistry and just enough self-awareness sprinkled on familiar conventions.

Within its frothy intentions, the movie largely succeeds as the sort of breezy theatrical escape we see far too rarely lately. The story exists primarily as a vehicle for Sweeney and Powell’s dynamite pairing, with technical polish and breezy tone complementing the charisma showcase. Supporting characters and narrative depth receive short shrift, but the intended core strengths shine through.

For audiences seeking sunshine-drenched wish fulfillment powered by two soon-to-be major stars embodying contemporary relationship perspectives, Anyone But You should delight. The film delivers exactly what its packaging promises for viewers able to key into its wavelength. Critical nitpicks around thinly sketched secondary characters and sporadic clunky contrivances aren’t unfair but somewhat miss the point.

In the end, whether Anyone But You leaves enough cultural imprint to spawn a full-fledged rom-com revival wave remains unclear. But its charming intentions and general accomplishment of limited goals should whet appetites for Hollywood to greenlight more entries in this currently neglected genre. Sweeney and Powell form a duo too irresistible for a one-and-done showcase. If box office keeps pace with rom-com nostalgia, expect more frothy, silver screen escapes soon from these two corners.

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