A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Idea of You” (2024).
Currently streaming on Prime Video, “The Idea of You” takes the concept of “Notting Hill” – a nobody falling into the romantic orbit of a major star – and flips it. This time the star is the guy and the “nobody” is a much older woman. An interesting dynamic!
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Solène (Anne Hathaway) is a divorced art gallery owner turning 40. Smart, intelligent and attractive, she has potential suitors buzzing around her. But thanks to her unreliable ex-husband Daniel (Reid Scott), she gets to have to take her daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin) to a pop concert by the boy band August Moon. There she accidently meets one of the band, Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine) who is in his early 20’s, and the attraction is immediate.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong language”. For a rom-com there is also a fair degree of sexual content – not one for young ‘uns to watch with granny!)
Talent:
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin.
Directed by: Michael Showalter.
Written by: Michael Showalter & Jennifer Westfeldt. (Based on the novel by Robinne Lee.)
Twitter Handle: #TheIdeaOfYou.
Running Time: 1h 55m.
“The Idea of You” Summary:
Positives:
- A cute romance film, with the normal ups and downs of the genre.
- The story has some bite, highlighting the gender hypocrisy in mis-matched age couples.
- The two leads have genuine chemistry! They make a believable couple!
Negatives:
- I kept thinking “Notting Hill” most of the way through it!
Review of “The Idea of You”:
When “Cougar” is a dirty word
The key message of the film is the hypocrisy of the world frowning on older women dating younger men. When Bond beds girls young enough to be his daughter, noone bats an eyelid. But a cougar dating a man more than 15 years her junior? HOW DARE SHE! The script particularly well highlights this with Solène seen as vindictively ‘stealing’ the young fan’s heartthrob from their own sex-fuelled dreams. (A headline of “Yoko 2.0” made me snort with laughter!)
Hathaway and Galitzine have real chemistry
Anne Hathaway, who is actually now 41 years old, is both gorgeous and well cast here. You can genuinely see how a young man would fall hopelessly in love with this sophisticated, beautiful woman. I recognised Nicholas Galitzine as both Jeff, the very funny injured-jock in “Bottoms“, and as Prince Robert in the gruesome Prime Video “Cinderella” musical from 2021 (which my grandkids loved!). He is the perfect, well-chiselled choice for the boy-band heartthrob and is very good. It must have been absolute hell for Hathaway to have to have done all of those love-making scenes with him! (“Hmm… Michael, I think I could have done better…. could we do another take please?!”)
The important thing is that the pair have real chemistry on screen, which makes the whole thing believable.
Notting Hill rehash
The film almost shamelessly steals many of its scenes from “Notting Hill”. I bet Solène worked in an LA bookshop in the first draft before someone interjected and commented that that was a bit too on the nose! There’s even a ‘priceless’ picture delivered at one point! And the radiant smile that Hathaway delivers near the end of the film utterly reminded me of Julia Roberts’ one in the “film in the film” art gallery scene!
A nice twist, which “Notting Hill” didn’t have, was to have the character of Izzy, Solène’s daughter, played by Ella Rubin. In Notting Hill, William Thacker (Hugh Grant) was a bit of an island (“bloody Ibiza”… no, different film!) Here, the impact of Solène’s new-found infamy is writ large by the effect it has on the school-age Izzy. It’s a nice touch and makes you empathise with Solène’s decisions.
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Summary Thoughts on “The Idea of You”
It’s a genuinely pleasant Rom-com – well, to be honest, it’s more Rom than Com. The Illustrious Mrs Movie Man really loved it too (“3.5 or 4 stars”). I thought it was certainly a cut above the rest.
“The Idea of You” is currently streaming for free on Prime Video (with the subscription).
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “The Idea of You”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8i6PB0gGOA .
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I liked the movie too. Nice review! I’ve been a Nicholas Jeanne fan since red white and royal blue. And I’ve always loved and Hathaway, what’s not to love? I also really appreciate how the movie explores the hip-hop and double standard of men and women are treated and perceived.
Quite so! I think the only (slightly older) woman that James Bond ever ‘had’ was Monica Bellucci in “Spectre”! Why shouldn’t an older woman date a younger man?