Office Romance

Directed by Ol Parker, Office Romance details the relationship that forms between a high-powered executive (Jennifer Lopez’s Jackie Cruz) and her company’s in-house lawyer (Brett Goldstein’s Daniel Blanchflower). Filmmaker Parker, armed with Joe Kelly and Goldstein’s screenplay, delivers a sporadically watchable yet mostly disappointing endeavor that’s rarely, if ever, as charming or affable as one might’ve anticipated, with the picture’s arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by a sluggish, momentum-free midsection that stresses the protagonists’ tiresome work exploits to a progressively distressing degree (ie it’s just not interesting, generally speaking). It’s clear, too, that Office Romance‘s downfall can be attributed to its recurring emphasis on jokes and gags of a decidedly (and hopelessly) unfunny nature (eg Daniel gets an erection upon meeting Jackie for the first time), which, when coupled with a curious lack of sexual chemistry between Lopez and Goldstein’s respective figures, ultimately does confirm the movie’s place as a lackluster romcom that squanders an appealing premise and roster of performers.

** out of ****