A One Mann’s Movies review of “Anyone But You” (2023).
Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” has been filmed many times for TV and (most notably) for the cinema in Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 movie. It also got a more modern treatment in “Messina High” in 2015. Here in “Anyone But You” we go full Rom-Com for what I think scholars will probably agree to be a “lose interpretation” of Shakespeare’s classic. But it did raise a few laughs with me.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) spend a night of cuddling but due to a miscommunication (very Shakespeare!) they end up hating each other in the morning. Wind forwards a few months and it turns out that Bea’s sister Halle (Hadley Robinson) is getting married to Ben’s friend Claudia (Alexandra Shipp) in Australia. Bea and Ben obviously have to attend, but how can they prevent their animosity from ruining the couple’s big day?
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Very strong language”).
Talent:
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, Hadley Robinson, Dermot Mulrooney, Rachel Griffiths, Charlee Fraser, Joe Davidson.
Directed by: Will Gluck.
Written by: Ilana Wolpert & Will Gluck.
Twitter Handle: #AnyoneButYou.
Running Time: 1h 43m.
What a lovely spread. At least, that’s what I’m looking at. Glen Powell as Ben and Sydney Sweeney as Bea. (Source: Sony Pictures International).
“Anyone But You” Review:
Positives:
- Despite their age difference (Sweeney is 26 and Powell is 35) the good-looking duo make for an amiable sparring couple. (The age gap is actually a recurring gag in the film…. Powell claims to be 29 but ‘looks older’).
- Powell, even in his ‘old age’ (LOL), is a bit of a rising star. I first noticed his square-cut American good looks in his cameo as John Glenn in the excellent “Hidden Figures“. But he really shot to mainstream attention as ‘Hangman’ in “Top Gun Maverick“. He cuts an impressive figure in his movies, as here.
- Sydney Sweeney cuts a memorable figure in a bikini for sure (yes, I know this is probably a mysoginistic comment but it’s true… bite me. I’m sure women will say the same about Powell in swimwear). And Sweeney makes a great leading lady. She’s mostly risen to fame through TV shows (“Euphoria” and “The White Lotus”, neither of which I’ve seen). The only film I’ve seen her in is Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood” playing ‘Snake’ (one of the commune girls) but she didn’t really register with me. But this will do her movie CV a lot of good.
- I had a number of good laughs during “Anyone But You”. For example, when Bea and Ben simulate a famous ‘Jack and Rose’ bow-scene and end up in Sydney Harbour as a result, surfer-hunk Beau (Joe Davidson) blurts out “Blimey… they’ve gone the full Titanic”! And a scene with a Koala overlooking the fabulous Blue Mountains (I was lucky enough to visit Katoomba in 2022, and it IS as fabulous as it looks) was farcical but very funny.
- Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” is nicely used in the plot and covered as a “montage” singalong over the closing titles. I always wonder how the director goes about doing this and making sure that they are continually capturing different bits of the song as they are filming. What do they do if they get to the editing room and find “Bugger… we didn’t film that line about ‘tries being outside the lines'”!
Negatives:
- Personally, I found the story of “Anyone But You” completely unbelievable and fatuous. While it won’t be a major surprise to anyone that Bea and Ben get together in the end, I’d give their relationship 3 months at best!
- I thought Australian model Charlee Fraser was strikingly good playing Margaret, who is Ben’s ‘ex having second thoughts’. But her topless scene on the beach seemed unnecessarily gratuitous to me.
Having recently been to Sydney, seeing many shots of the picturesque city (and nearly Bondi) was great. Here they are going the full “Titanic”… or perhaps more like “The Shallows“. (Source: Sony Pictures International).
Monkeys
As above, there is a fun monkey of the cast singing “Unwritten” over the first part of the titles. There is no post-titles monkey.
Summary Thoughts on “Anyone But You”
I *think* lovers of rom-coms will largely go for this one and have fun. Although, note that although co-written and directed by WIll Gluck who did the “Peter Rabbit” films, this is more at the raunchy “No Hard Feelings” end of the spectrum, so not general family viewing.
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Trailer for “Anyone But You”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESEc6W2h9_k .
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