The Idea of You is a romance movie about a woman dating a young popstar and dealing with the consequnces of that relationship. The movie stars Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries, The Intern) and Nicholas Galitzine. (Bottoms, Cinderella, Purple Hearts) It was released on May 2, 2024 on Prime Video. The movie was originally based off a novel of the same name.
The movie starts with 39, turning 40, year old Solené (Hathaway) planning a solo camping trip while her daughter, Izzy (Ella Rubin) is off with her dad, Daniel at Coachella. When Daniel has a work crisis, he asks Solené to take Izzy. Reluctantly she goes and, unexpectantly, meets Hayes Campbell. Hayes Campbell (Galitzine) is a member of the boy band 'August Moon', Izzy's former favorite band. After their interaction, Hayes finds Solené after Coachcella and starts a relationship, away from the media and from Solené's family and friends. They both venture off to Europe for the band's tour where they are spotted, causing Solene's life to turn around.
I was really excited about this movie when it was first revealed. I thought it'd be fun and show how an age gap relationship in the media would be. It did technically just that but the story just felt very flat compared to what I was expecting. I don't really know how to explain what I thought the movie would be but maybe I assumed It would feel like a teenage rom-com than something that was serious.
One way I can explain this is the score. Background music is important in a scene because it pushes the story and the emotions the characters are going through. I kept trying to turn up my TV's volume to see if there was any music but there wasn't. I feel like that was important to me because it helps me focus more on the scene. They did include some songs and original songs from the movie's boy band, which are really good. My personal favorites from the album are Taste, The Idea of You, Dance Before we Walk, and Closer. But if I could change one thing from the movie, it would be to add a better score.
Some movies that I was comparing this too were StarStruck and Somebody Else. These movies also have the same premise where a girl falls for a celebrity. The only difference is the age gap. These are considered teen movies and I assumed this movie would have the same feeling because of the marketing. There is also a rumor that Hayes Campbell is based off of Harry Styles, as they are similar in terms of look and personality.
This movie didn't live up to my expectations of the dreamy popstar relationship and wasn't very memorable. It doesn't trend that much online either. I wish it was better than how it is. It had everything, it just lacks that energy tk make it memorable. It had a great cast, just not a well planned execution.
Rating: 4/10
Challengers is about three tennis players and their ambition to win. It is directed by Luca Guadagino (Call Me By Your Name) and stars Zendaya (Spider-Man, Euphoria), Mike Faist (West Side Story), and Josh O'Connor. The film is produced by MGM and Warner Bros. It was released on April 26, 2024, and is currently playing in theaters.
Art Donaldson (Faist) and Patrick Zweig (O'Connor) have been friends since they were twelve when they met in the same boarding school. Both have been playing Tennis with each other and competed since then. At the 2004 US Open, they meet Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) and spark a romantic interest in her. Tashi and Art attend Stanford together while Patrick visits and tours the circuit. An argument occurs between Tashi and Patrick, which leads to Tashi being in a bad mood and breaking her knee. Art comforts her during the recovery process, leading to a romantic relationship and Tashi becoming Art's coach and manager. Art has a bad injury and is trying to play Tennis again after taking time for his recovery. Tashi signs him up for the New Rochelle Challenger Game, where he plays against his former best friend and wife's ex-boyfriend, Patrick Zweig.
This movie really keeps you guessing what's going to happen next. You're analyzing the motives and emotions of each character through each situation they're going through. From the beginning of the love triangle and how Art (Faist) was trying to sabotage Tashi (Zendaya) and Patrick's (O'Connor) relationship, to Tashi asking Patrick to throw the challenger game with Art. During the press tour as well, the actors mentioned how flawed and selfish these characters are, and how it's hard to determine the true villain. Based on my personal opinion, It feels like the only good person is Patrick. Tashi and Art acted on their selfishness whereas Patrick worked on his own goals while trying to keep a relationship with both friends. Tashi is very career-driven right from the beginning of the movie and focuses on tennis. Art tried separating Patrick and Tashi and three years later, he married Tashi.
I think the foreshadowing in the movie is pretty incredible too. I kept a mental track of what I assumed would be relevant or not. Everything obviously started with Tashi meeting Patrick and Art. There's a shot where the camera stays on the beach, with the water brushing on the shore. In my mind, I thought of the phrase 'The calm before the storm'. Maybe I was thinking too much into it but then close to the end of the film, Patrick and Tashi secretly meet each other on a windy night. So I think my opinion stands. There was also a moment in the past when Art questioned Patrick on whether he slept with Tashi. Patrick says he's sworn to secrecy so Art suggests that Patrick places the ball in the middle of the racquet to tell him. In the present, during the Challenger Game, Patrick makes that same move to tell Art that Tashi slept with him again, while the two are currently married. I see both these things as history repeating itself, especially with how close the three of them were.
The score was also so enthralling too. It just matched how serious every scene was and added to the tension between the characters. It was loud in some moments where dialogue was important for the story to progress, but then again, the music added to the story and for viewers to understand the importance of these moments for the future. My favorite that left an imprint on me was Tashi's score when she used to play on the court. It just screamed power and who the true winner is.
Overall, Challengers is the movie of the summer and a real movie that showcases the hard work and talent of Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor. All of them put so much effort into making this the most intense and mind-capturing film of the season. Everything is thought out so carefully and the viewer gets to nitpick each scene and determine their own ending to the story. (Yes, it's an open-ended end)
Rating: 10/10
Love and WWE: Bianca and Montez is a reality show about the top two wrestlers in WWE. The show follows through their months training for the largest wrestling event of the year, Wrestlemania, while also dealing with personal problems and aspirations such as having a family.
Bianca Belair is the top female wrestler, holding the title for the past three years since the series was filmed. She is married to another wrestler, Montez Ford, who is apart of a tag team named Street Profits. They both joined the company, WWE, in 2016 and have been together since.
The show starts with both of them preparing for the largest event, Wrestlemania, an professional wrestling event that awards the best wrestler as the World Champion. Bianca and Montez also talk about their personal goals and how family is important to them, with their parents being apart of the show as well. They take viewers through their struggles of travelling for work, juggiling their happiness and ambition for succeeding at work, and life in the spotlight.
I’m not the biggest fan of wrestling but I did enjoy watching this show. I’ve only seen one wrestling event recently and both of them were at that event. Honestly, they are great entertainers in and out of the ring. That event made it easier to watch this show since i’ve been introduced to them before. I don’t think this show would be appealing to people who are unaware of wrestling as it obviously follows their careers, making it hard to follow for non-wrestler viewers.
Rating: 7/10
