Which Brings Me to You review
Which Brings Me to You gets points for trying something different. It’s not enough to overcome its other flaws, but at least it’s got a certain sense of unpredictability.
Jane (Lucy Hale) and Will (Nat Wolff, The Intern) meet at a wedding. Their chemistry is so immediately electric that Jane wants to hook up in the coat closet. Will doesn’t want to rush into anything and instead wants them to get to know each other first. And what better way to do that than by trading relationship war stories?
This is an awkward premise. Screenwriter Keith Bunin, adapting Steve Almond and Juliette Baggott’s novel, can’t establish Jane and Will as characters thoroughly enough to make their meet cute and traumatic relationship story swaps feel organic.
With a brief run time of an hour and 38 minutes, Director Peter Hutchings (The Hating Game) doesn’t have time to establish a believable connection. There’s an agenda with many stops along the way to have the film play out more than a smorgasbord of rom com greatest hits.
Too often the relationship recalls play out like generic rom com scenarios pulled out of a hat. These scenes are filled with stock characters who serve a specific step along Jane and Will’s journey of romantic discovery.
Hutchings gimmicks these flashbacks up with Will or Jane “appearing” to offer commentary as the events play out. It’s an odd decision as they come off judgmental on the other’s choices. Especially since the end of the relationships don’t paint Will or Jane in the best light.
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Of the two, Jane’s are more nuanced and interesting. Her relationships typically find Jane dealing with men who are battered down emotionally or mentally broken. Jane doesn’t seek out a type, but frequently finds herself the support system with her guys. It’s in these scenarios that Hale is able to give Jane more depth instead of the random wedding hook up character that immediately connects with Will.
That may speak to the chemistry Hale and Wolff have as well. The script suggests this intense, immediate bond, but it doesn’t convey on screen. Wolff is adequate in his scenes, but he’s not able to provide a spark to Will’s scenes. And he lacks the natural charm or charisma to sell Will as this ladies’ man that’s constantly in relationships. His relationship recaps tend to just play out with little substance to them.
Ordinarily this kind of setup would lend itself more to lighthearted comedy. Which Brings Me to You offers less feel-good cheerful moments and is more of a downer like a best man’s toast gone horribly sideways.
As the recaps wind down, the filmmakers seem to assume viewers would be rooting for Jane and Will to get together. Given the lengthy amount of evidence provided, this pairing has absolutely zero chance of living happily ever after almost from the moment the end credits begin.
Which Brings Me to You is a rarity in the sense that this is a romantic couple worth rooting against simply because they have no chance of being anything but the most miserable couple possible.
Rating: 5 out of 10
Photo Credit: KWPR