***Spoilers***
This light hearted fluff of a rom-com addresses gender norms in interesting yet ultimately disappointing ways. Both main characters have successful careers and it becomes about choosing between them as priorities and supporting the other. This dynamic reads as believable. However when Violet gets a job at a university, Tom has to sacrifice being head chef at his own restaurant. He says it's fine and they agree it's only temporary, however there is growing resentment as he has to get lower paying and under ambitious jobs as a sandwich maker in town. If this played out in heteronormative terms I think people wouldn't blink and eye, because the film would play out as her having kids and a part time job and totally "normal" role for women. But because Tom stops shaving his beard and is "depressed" it's worse somehow. Also she becomes an adulteress and it becomes a tit for tat situation as both are unhappy at the state of the relationship. Eventually they go their separate ways. Ultimately they come to realise that they like each others flaws and decide to throw adulting in and making choices (which resides her as working in his taco trailer) in favour of grand romantic gestures and get married. I wish we could see 5 more minutes of screen time of what happens after they're married because when the reality sets in they both have different careers and priorities basically back to the middle of the film. This film re-iterates the notion that marriage will solve people's problems and to borrow a line from Jurassic Park "Life finds a way". But that's not reality. So while this film promises to only be light hearted fare it's quite disappointing in that it doesn't play on some of the film's potential. Overall enjoyable and silly.
No comments:
Post a Comment