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How many times have we seen a teen romance with a predictable end? Far too many times. And romantic comedy is a genre that has been sufficiently abused. So what does Netflix’s latest offering, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, bring to the table?
The film is based on the novel of the same name by writer Jenny Han. Having not read the book, I approached the movie with zero expectations, maybe barring one, to be bored to death with its all too foreseeable outcomes. However, the Susan Johnson directorial surprised me, at least with the treatment of the narrative in its first half.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is about 16-year-old Lara Jean Covey who loves reading romantic novels and inhabiting the space of those love stories. Lara is a scared teenager who is afraid to venture into the real world and live the life that she desires as she fears that people she falls for will end up leaving her one day. So Lara writes them letters instead. Letters to explain to herself the intensity of her crushes. In the span of less than two decades, she pens five letters. Now one fine day, those letters make their way to its addressees and drama ensues in the style of a John Hughes film.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before comes off as a subtle tribute to Hughes and Cameron Crowe’s 1989 John Cusack starrer Say Anything. In fact, the movie mentions Hughes’ name more than once through the course of the movie. For the uninitiated, Hughes was popular for spinning teen dramas with nicely cut, thoughtful narratives, the examples of which include classics like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Some Kind of Wonderful (1987). To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before doesn’t boast of a supremely engaging script unlike Hughes’ films, but it is entertaining enough to keep you in your seat till the very end. And this is primarily thanks to its cast that gives credible performances. Lana Condor as Lara Jean and Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky especially stand out. Noah is perfectly cast as the stereotypical American Jock with conventional good looks and an envious amount of confidence. While Noah’s character may have cliche written all over it, the actor charms with his honest and innocent portrayal. He has the swagger of a popular teen, but of also someone who is naive and seeks approval, just like any other young adult of the world.
The second half of the film lags a bit, things could have been more tightly wrapped and the payoff could have been more delicious. And no, it is not as good as another Netflix rom-com Set it Up, but it comes a very close second.
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