☆ Finding Emily Review ☆

 

★★★⯪☆ (can't seem to do a half-star lol)

It was a busy Saturday afternoon when I watched this film. The theater was packed, I waited in an arduously long line just to get a large empty cup for my root beer that poured out of a machine, with a picture of Rhett and Link plastered digitally on the front. When I booked the seats online I noticed the theater room was unusually small, especially for a film that came out literally yesterday. 

It made me a bit sad to walk into the theater and finding only about 4 other people in the room. This film seriously, seriously flew under the radar. It made me wonder what everybody else had come to watch. I can be thankful for a peaceful experience, which allowed me to immerse myself in the world of this love story. 

Rom-coms, nowadays, feel so few and far in between. A staple for the theater, peeking out amongst big blockbusters and horror films, the Rom-com captured hearts for hopeless romantics and couples alike. I am one such sucker. I cower my head in shame in second-hand embarrassment played before me on the screen, get giddy at silly tropes, will-they, won't they, oh no, she's getting the wrong idea, Romeo hurry and fix this quick. This movie definitely checked off all the boxes. A cheesy story so dripping in little antics for the couple of the film to partake in. 

I ached so long for something like this. Charming but earnest in its ideal of love. Quick one-liners and jokes that gave me a light chuckle, and not much more. Cause you don't really need more. 

The characters were so sweet and it felt almost too innocent for something geared towards college kids. There was the occasional dirty joke here and there, and definitely lots of drinking. It definitely abode to its' PG-13 rating.

Now, this film isn't perfect. Conflicts tended to blow over pretty quickly without major consequences, and the amount of needle drops that lasted half a scene were more than I could count on fingers. The music choices were very funny and a little all over the place. From 80's hits to indie gems to Carly Rae Jepson, surprisingly. You could tell they wanted to appeal to the gen Z audience, and I don't fault them too hard for that. The presence of social media wasn't too egregious but understandable. I'm a big fan of period pieces, so I could definitely see this film set in the 90's to 2000's and still feel relatable to the modern young person. 

There was definitely a concern for sexual harassment, a realistic point that you could take from the idea of this film; A boy meets a girl at a party, falls in love, tries to get her number but she accidentally (or purposely?) omits a digit. He goes on this entire journey to find her, visiting the university everyday to spot her face in the crowd. Using the school's email system to email other "Emilys" to find the right one. That could come off as creepy, and several characters in the film do insist on it being that way, but it weirdly just gets played for laughs. There's this "Radical Feminist" character in the film that has a real issue with the situation, but it sort of gets thrown under the rug, and she's almost treated like a villain for thinking that way? 

In fact, most of the side characters of the film felt like just that. Side characters. Not really offering anything bountiful to the plot, little decorations of humanity that pave way for the main couple of the film. The chemistry between Emily and Owen was the most redeeming part, showcasing their developing friendship through little random incidents. Every scene with just the two of them was most memorable. I mean, would you eat coleslaw and chips together for someone you didn't like a least a little? 

For sake of grand gesture I do feel like their get-together was a little rushed, but I was rooting so hard for the two of them that I was still left satisfied by the end. I kind of wish there was more perspective on how Owen felt towards her. It didn't feel like there was a singular "main character" which I liked, so I would love to delve in deeper into Owen's brain. 

All in all, solid film. I think I'd definitely see it again. Angourie Rice already has a pretty decent amount of filmography to her name, but Spike Fearn only has a few roles under his belt. There's a star quality to his performance, and I feel like I'll be seeing his name around a lot more. 

Also, he's cute. In like a 90's Britpop musician kind of a way.