To say that teenage romantic comedies in the vein of John Hughes are making a resurgence implies that they vanished at one point, which isn't entirely correct. High school audiences have always been clamoring for something that speaks to them, and while the genre has drifted away from Hughes's particular style at times, he has remained a vital influence on this sector of pop culture. But in 2018, we've seen filmmakers use Hughes's work as both an implicit and explicit reference point, making his presence feel a little more notable in the grand cultural scheme of things. First, Greg Berlanti's Love, Simon used the traditional Hughesian framework to tell a very modern story of self-acceptance and gay pride, finding emotional power in the normality of the story. I don't recall the film ever name-dropping The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles, but the influence was palpable and widely discussed.
On the flip side, Susan Johnson's To All the Boys I've Loved Before has no problem throwing out references to Sixteen Candles and other films, clearly entrenching itself in the history of teen-friendly rom-coms. With its Wes Anderson-infused composition and flashy jump cuts, this smash Netflix hit almost feels like a cinephile's version of a high school movie. But it also works as a nice companion piece to Love, Simon, due to its improvements in mainstream romantic representation, its clear adoration for the genre, and its more contrived elements. There's a reason the film has soared to instant popularity- it's refreshingly old-fashioned in its approach to the genre, filled with the kind of highs and lows that define the drama of high school. Even as it addresses some of the teen rom-com's previous blind spots, the results are satisfying, in ways that are both familiar and unexpected.
Lana Condor stars as Lara Jean Covey, a teenage girl content to live vicariously through fictional romantic fantasies. She loves elaborate love stories and cinematic flights of fancy, but her own life is devoid of any genuine romantic connection. When she has a particularly intense crush, Lara Jean writes a love letter, stashing it away in a box in her closet. Throughout her life, she has written five of these letters, and she counts them as some of her most treasured possessions and carefully maintained secrets. Even Margot (Janel Parrish) and Kitty (Anna Cathcart), Lara Jean's sisters, don't know about the letters. Which is probably good, considering that one of them is addressed to Josh (Israel Broussard), Margot's recent ex-boyfriend (they broke up before she left for college).
There's one other thing you should know about Lara Jean- her mother died when she was very young. Her loving father (My Big Fat Greek Wedding's John Corbett) does his best to give the family a sense of normality, but there's a hole there that can't quite be filled.
Anyways, the plot has to get moving at some point, which happens when Kitty sends all of Lara Jean's love letters to their intended recipients. Three of them are virtually irrelevant to the story, but our unassuming protagonist's life will be shaken up when Josh and Peter (Noah Centineo) come knocking on her door. While she can't quite bring herself to date Josh, she has a thing for Peter, the most popular kid in school. To understand the dynamic here, you have to understand the relationship between these different teenagers. Peter is dating Gen (Emilija Baranac). Gen hates Chris (Madeleine Arthur), her free-spirited cousin. Chris is Lara Jean's best friend. Therefore, Gen hates Lara Jean. Things get complicated when Peter and Gen break up, sparking the popular jock to strike up a fake relationship with Lara Jean. It's a fun idea- but there's no way this can end well, right?
If it all seems manufactured and artificial, well, that's part of the fun. From The Spectacular Now to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, so many recent teen movies have been concerned with the daily emotional and spiritual drudgery of high school life. Don't get me wrong, those are great movies that accomplish their goals in excellent fashion, but it's sometimes easy to forget that it's not the only way to tell a high school story. Much like the superhero genre after Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, mainstream teen comedies have been easing their way back into the realm of lightweight fun after years in the darkness. To All the Boys I've Loved Before is spirited and energetic, carrying with it a keen knowledge of how fun it can be to hatch the kind of ludicrous plan that serves as the core of the story. The film exists in a time period when everything is life or death, and director Johnson and screenwriter Sofia Alvarez successfully make every moment feel crucial.
To All the Boys also works in something of an analytical capacity, as it attempts to deconstruct the inner workings of the modern teen relationship. The film doesn't dwell too much on this, but it's fun to watch Lara Jean and Peter try to plan every stage of their fake love affair, taking Instagram pictures, switching up home screens, and doing the bare minimum for each other. It's so superficial even a fake couple can do it! The critique is subtle, but it's there. At the same time, the film is expressively cinematic, both in its visual allusions and playful twisting of rom-com tropes. Thankfully, its references and style never reach a point of obnoxiousness; it's a part of the film's identity, but it's not all that Johnson has to offer. Even as it imitates Wes Anderson and tosses out Fight Club and John Hughes references, these shout-outs are an asset, not a crutch.
At its core, there are a treasure trove of likable performances from strong actors, chief among them Lana Condor and Noah Centineo. Condor is perhaps the perfect rom-com lead. She's easy to root for, and it's delightful to watch her push Lara Jean out of her shell. If there's justice in Hollywood, she'll be an overnight sensation. Centineo's Peter has a smoothness that feels slippery, but the instant heartthrob icon makes you want to trust him. The two young actors have great chemistry together, and their characters explore some territory that goes beyond the boundaries of the conventional rom-com. It jumps around between its different ideas too often, but To All the Boys I've Loved Before even briefly dips its toes into the nature of grief, finding different responses from its heartbroken leads (Peter's dad left recently).
Johnson's film settles into a groove for much of its runtime, but the infrequent bumps in the road can be distracting. The beginning is notable for its clunky difficulties, while the scattered themes sometimes feel like a preview of a more thoughtful movie that fell apart in the editing room. Still, this is a hugely entertaining and lovable romance, functioning as the kind of candy-colored rom-com we don't see enough of anymore. And with an Asian-American woman as its heroine, To All the Boys I've Loved Before continues this year's crucial increase in cinematic representation and Hollywood self-reflection, as the industry finds ways to improve on old formulas through inclusion and socially conscious storytelling. It's a smash hit for Netflix already, and it's not hard to see why.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (7.7/10)
Image courtesy of Netflix
Poster: Netflix/IMDb
On the flip side, Susan Johnson's To All the Boys I've Loved Before has no problem throwing out references to Sixteen Candles and other films, clearly entrenching itself in the history of teen-friendly rom-coms. With its Wes Anderson-infused composition and flashy jump cuts, this smash Netflix hit almost feels like a cinephile's version of a high school movie. But it also works as a nice companion piece to Love, Simon, due to its improvements in mainstream romantic representation, its clear adoration for the genre, and its more contrived elements. There's a reason the film has soared to instant popularity- it's refreshingly old-fashioned in its approach to the genre, filled with the kind of highs and lows that define the drama of high school. Even as it addresses some of the teen rom-com's previous blind spots, the results are satisfying, in ways that are both familiar and unexpected.
Lana Condor stars as Lara Jean Covey, a teenage girl content to live vicariously through fictional romantic fantasies. She loves elaborate love stories and cinematic flights of fancy, but her own life is devoid of any genuine romantic connection. When she has a particularly intense crush, Lara Jean writes a love letter, stashing it away in a box in her closet. Throughout her life, she has written five of these letters, and she counts them as some of her most treasured possessions and carefully maintained secrets. Even Margot (Janel Parrish) and Kitty (Anna Cathcart), Lara Jean's sisters, don't know about the letters. Which is probably good, considering that one of them is addressed to Josh (Israel Broussard), Margot's recent ex-boyfriend (they broke up before she left for college).
There's one other thing you should know about Lara Jean- her mother died when she was very young. Her loving father (My Big Fat Greek Wedding's John Corbett) does his best to give the family a sense of normality, but there's a hole there that can't quite be filled.
Anyways, the plot has to get moving at some point, which happens when Kitty sends all of Lara Jean's love letters to their intended recipients. Three of them are virtually irrelevant to the story, but our unassuming protagonist's life will be shaken up when Josh and Peter (Noah Centineo) come knocking on her door. While she can't quite bring herself to date Josh, she has a thing for Peter, the most popular kid in school. To understand the dynamic here, you have to understand the relationship between these different teenagers. Peter is dating Gen (Emilija Baranac). Gen hates Chris (Madeleine Arthur), her free-spirited cousin. Chris is Lara Jean's best friend. Therefore, Gen hates Lara Jean. Things get complicated when Peter and Gen break up, sparking the popular jock to strike up a fake relationship with Lara Jean. It's a fun idea- but there's no way this can end well, right?
If it all seems manufactured and artificial, well, that's part of the fun. From The Spectacular Now to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, so many recent teen movies have been concerned with the daily emotional and spiritual drudgery of high school life. Don't get me wrong, those are great movies that accomplish their goals in excellent fashion, but it's sometimes easy to forget that it's not the only way to tell a high school story. Much like the superhero genre after Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, mainstream teen comedies have been easing their way back into the realm of lightweight fun after years in the darkness. To All the Boys I've Loved Before is spirited and energetic, carrying with it a keen knowledge of how fun it can be to hatch the kind of ludicrous plan that serves as the core of the story. The film exists in a time period when everything is life or death, and director Johnson and screenwriter Sofia Alvarez successfully make every moment feel crucial.
To All the Boys also works in something of an analytical capacity, as it attempts to deconstruct the inner workings of the modern teen relationship. The film doesn't dwell too much on this, but it's fun to watch Lara Jean and Peter try to plan every stage of their fake love affair, taking Instagram pictures, switching up home screens, and doing the bare minimum for each other. It's so superficial even a fake couple can do it! The critique is subtle, but it's there. At the same time, the film is expressively cinematic, both in its visual allusions and playful twisting of rom-com tropes. Thankfully, its references and style never reach a point of obnoxiousness; it's a part of the film's identity, but it's not all that Johnson has to offer. Even as it imitates Wes Anderson and tosses out Fight Club and John Hughes references, these shout-outs are an asset, not a crutch.
At its core, there are a treasure trove of likable performances from strong actors, chief among them Lana Condor and Noah Centineo. Condor is perhaps the perfect rom-com lead. She's easy to root for, and it's delightful to watch her push Lara Jean out of her shell. If there's justice in Hollywood, she'll be an overnight sensation. Centineo's Peter has a smoothness that feels slippery, but the instant heartthrob icon makes you want to trust him. The two young actors have great chemistry together, and their characters explore some territory that goes beyond the boundaries of the conventional rom-com. It jumps around between its different ideas too often, but To All the Boys I've Loved Before even briefly dips its toes into the nature of grief, finding different responses from its heartbroken leads (Peter's dad left recently).
Johnson's film settles into a groove for much of its runtime, but the infrequent bumps in the road can be distracting. The beginning is notable for its clunky difficulties, while the scattered themes sometimes feel like a preview of a more thoughtful movie that fell apart in the editing room. Still, this is a hugely entertaining and lovable romance, functioning as the kind of candy-colored rom-com we don't see enough of anymore. And with an Asian-American woman as its heroine, To All the Boys I've Loved Before continues this year's crucial increase in cinematic representation and Hollywood self-reflection, as the industry finds ways to improve on old formulas through inclusion and socially conscious storytelling. It's a smash hit for Netflix already, and it's not hard to see why.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (7.7/10)
Image courtesy of Netflix
Poster: Netflix/IMDb
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