The Idea of You

Directed by Michael Showalter, The Idea of You follows a single mother (Anne Hathaway’s Solène Marchand) as she embarks on a fairly illicit relationship with the 24-year-old lead singer (Nicholas Galitzine’s Hayes Campbell) of a popular boy band. Filmmaker Showalter, armed with his and Jennifer Westfeldt, delivers a slow-moving yet predominantly satisfying romance that benefits substantially from the top-notch efforts of its two stars, as Hathaway and Galitzine offer up agreeable, thoroughly charming work that’s heightened by their often electrifying chemistry together – with the strength of their characters’ irresistible coupling ultimately compensating for the narrative’s less-than-streamlined bent. (Ella Rubin’s entirely unconvincing turn as Solène’s teenage daughter, on the other hand, remains an ongoing distraction within the proceedings.) And while the picture admittedly does contain a small handful of regrettable missteps, including (and especially) a fake breakup that lasts a little longer than preferable, The Idea of You generally comes off as a compelling endeavor that probably should’ve topped out at around 90 minutes.

*** out of ****