The Stream: Frustrating romantic comedy tropes abound.

The Big Screen: Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney are attractive, likeable and have good chemistry.

The Final Bill: A nice romantic comedy with a beautiful setting and cast gets stuck in those tired romantic comedy tropes.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Will Gluck
Writers: Will Gluck and Ilana Wolpert; story by Ilana Wolpert
Stars: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Gata, Alexandra Shipp, Hadley Robinson, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Bryan Brown, Michelle Hurd
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content and brief graphic nudity.
Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes
Production Companies: Fifty-Fifty Films, Olive Bridge Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films
Platform: In theaters December 22, 2023
Notable Trailers: Arthur the King, Dune: Part Two, The Fall Guy, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Madame Web

Hey, Streamers! Who doesn’t want love at the beginning of a new year? Even if you can’t find love in real life, you can at least live vicariously through some good-looking people on the big screen. In the overwhelming last weeks of the 2023, a new romantic comedy was released, Anyone But You, and I was able to get away and catch all of the romantic hijinks. Here’s whether love was truly in the air.

At the beginning of Anyone But You, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) have a very cute meet-cute in a coffee shop when Ben pretends to be Bea’s husband so she can get the key to use the bathroom. Ben and Bea hit it off and spend the day together. As things go in romantic comedies, a misunderstanding leads Ben and Bea to hating each other until Ben’s best friend and Bea’s sister get together and decide to get married in Australia. Ben and Bea are forced to tolerate each other while getting into some elaborate schemes in order to make sure the wedding goes off without a hitch. Lots of naked destination wedding hijinks ensue.

Apparently, Anyone But You is based on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, if that means anything to you. Anyway, this movie is good enough. It is kind of funny, kind of sweet and not too annoying. The biggest problem with Anyone But You is that there’s nothing fresh about this romantic comedy. Its entire plot is built on misunderstandings and people not communicating, which is just a tactic to fill out 90-minute movie. The central couple has to rely on the supporting characters to come up with ridiculous schemes to force them together. If your eyes don’t get stuck in the back of your head from rolling so much, then the movie is a success.

On the other hand, most of the problems with the plot can be overlooked because of the strong leads. Sydney Sweeney is very attractive and likeable. She has does mumble her lines a bit, which is kind of charming. She’s very expressive and has good comedic timing. Pair Sweeney with Glen Powell, who is very good at comedy, and you have a winning combination. Sweeney and Powell have great chemistry with each other, and it’s easy to see why Ben and Bea would hit it off so quickly. That’s also why the minor issues that keep them at odds throughout the movie are so frustrating.

Just as a side note: GaTa is very good on the show “Dave”. He’s not good in this movie. He’s annoying and feels miscast. Also, Rachel Griffiths is distracting because she’s an Australian playing an American with an American accent while the movie takes place in Australia. Why couldn’t she just have been Australian with her natural accent? Bizarre.

Ultimately, Anyone But You is a nice romantic comedy lifted by the strength of its attractive stars. Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney are likeable and have good chemistry. The plot is frustrating and too full of trite romantic comedy tropes. Luckily, the stars are funny and charming enough to overcome those issues. This movie could be a nice matinee date for the new year. Grab a bowl of popcorn for your midday trip to the theater.