Anyone But You 4K 2023

After seeing a rather lackluster trailer, I didn’t have high hopes for the movie, and for the most part, that turned out to be true. In the 14 years since the cool "The Good Girl" and roughly the same amount of time since "Friends with Benefits" (which I haven’t seen), Will Gluck seems to have completely lost his passion for the genre. The film is catastrophically lacking in directorial spark, drive, and energy. It’s too smooth and a bit boring, as if it’s just drifting along on its own, hoping it’ll end up somewhere. The winning, classic plot had the potential to make a hard-hitting genre film, but the result is a cute, pretty, yet lackluster movie with beautiful cinematography and attractive people on screen. There are a couple of well-executed comedic scenes, and they’re genuinely good, but in my opinion, they’re once again underdeveloped and underutilized, as if the director was playing it safe and afraid of “what might happen.” I’m comparing it to a recent competitor starring Jennifer Lawrence—it’s like night and day. I still remember the standout scenes from that one, like the ones on the beach and the house party with the college students, and Jen herself is definitely more talented than Sydney. Although, to be honest, she’s a stunning young woman and knows how to turn heads.

The actors here carry the somewhat lackluster direction, though Powell, as an actor, is certainly just so-so—on screen, he simply plays the textbook heartthrob without breaking a sweat. Sidney is charming and a walking sex symbol, and the chemistry between them isn’t half bad (no wonder they started a romance on set). But the old guard, represented by Brian Brown and Dermot Mulroney, are top-notch—these guys outshine the younger cast by a mile with their sheer charisma alone. There’s a funny character—an Australian surfer and joker—who has a couple of standout moments. It was filmed on location in Australia, which is a huge plus—the visuals are vibrant and lush: the ocean, the sun, the sand, nature, and a few standard views of Sydney. All in all, if you’re looking for a sweet, pleasant, and laid-back romantic movie for the evening with a dash of humor, this isn’t a bad choice. The film is sure to put you in a good mood. It’s a beautiful movie about beautiful people set against beautiful scenery.