The Idea of You

Love always seems to come at the wrong times. Many of us spend countless hours of our lives looking to find that one person who sparks the magic inside of us, but to no avail. Then, when your life seems to be too busy, love comes in unexpected forms, like a pop star whom you just happen to meet by chance. But wait, I’m not talking about me anymore. The Idea of You explores one of those unexpected romances, hoping that the love in the air will have hearts in your eyes for its story.

Solène (Anne Hathaway) is a single, successful business owner, and a great mom. Unfortunately, she had a bad husband in Daniel (Reid Scott), who cheated and left her for a younger woman. However, Solène is doing well as she is about to turn forty and couldn’t be happier. Solène and Daniel’s daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin) is about to have a weekend with her dad at Coachella, but a work thing makes him cancel, and Solène instead takes her and her friend. A need to go to the bathroom is about to change Solène’s life as she mistakenly enters the trailer of Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine), thinking it was a public bathroom, and ends up piquing his interest. Hayes is not just anybody; he is the lead singer of a group called August Moon and they are a pretty big deal. Sparks fly, and at first, Solène resists, but the heat is too hot to stop what is about to happen. Soon, Solène is traveling the globe and having a whirlwind romance with a pop star, but the past has a way of ruining good things. Soon, Solène is not just thinking about herself but Izzy as well, as choices might have to be made between love and happiness.

Written by Jennifer Westfeldt and Director Michael Showalter, from Robinne Lee’s novel of the same name, The Idea of You respects the canons of the romantic comedy while also offering sharp commentary on the state of celebrity/tabloid obsession. It also moves at a breezy pace and allows the central couple’s chemistry to smolder while still pushing the dramatic portions forward. It does all this while finding a really good balance of romance, melancholy, lightness, and even a little bitterness, all accompanied by a great soundtrack. Much of that is provided by the fictional group August Moon, of which Hayes is a part, as the music has been lovingly crafted and will have you listening to the soundtrack after the movie is done.

The Idea of You delivers in its fairy-tale romance between a celebrity singer and an ordinary woman. Not only do you get the highs of a love like this, but also the consequences, which are delivered with enough dramatic urgency to keep you engaged throughout. All of this works because of Hathaway and Galitzine’s performances, as their chemistry is wonderful. Hathaway continues to show she is simply one of the best actresses around. The Idea of You will surely join most rom-com lovers’ rotation for rainy day watches, as it speaks to the romantic in us all, and that is one idea I can get behind.