Rating: 3/5
By Arushi Aditi
Attempting to capture one of Colleen Hoover’s most noteworthy books, this film revolves around Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) as she meets the ideal man (or so it seems), Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). As they move forward with their relationship, a nexus of physical oppression seems to repeat itself – from her parents’ relationship during her childhood to Ryle’s current behaviour with herself. Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), her first love, happens to make an appearance in her life again, further hindering her relationship with Ryle. This story accentuates the unidentified struggles of domestic violence, as well as the dormant effects of childhood trauma and its role in the choices we make as adults.
For those who have read the book, it can be a nice watch. 2 hours and 11 minutes of excitement, love, despair, and heartbreak; a melange of emotions conveyed through Lily Bloom’s life journey and her battle with domestic violence. Justin Baldoni’s portrayal of Ryle’s character is strong and well-executed, especially in scenes where we see a darker side to him. We feel the strength of Allysa’s friendship with Lily, alongside her humour which brings a sense of light-heartedness to the film.
Lily’s wardrobe however is difficult to watch (especially considering Blake Lively’s reputation for some of the most incredible fashion choices). The pace of the film is a little confusing – while it seems like forever that Lily and Ryle settle into their relationship, the actual important scenes of the violence and its aftermath seem to be sped up in the last 30 minutes of the film and thus, not very impactful. While you feel the right emotions at the right time, you do not truly feel the emotions.
For those who have not read the novel, I am sorry because you will be disappointed. Compared to the book the only word I can use to describe the movie is flat. It feels incomplete to exclude the significance of the magnet, Lily’s bonding with her mother after the abuse, and the raw process of how Lily worked through her dilemma. The direction focuses way too much on the flowers, fashion, romance, and friendship, rather than the true essence of the conflict: the pain of loving those who are not good for you. Furthermore, Atlas’ character seems rather redundant as his role in her recovery from the abuse is completely underplayed. Brandon Sklenar’s acting does not arouse the same sense of endearment as the paperback Atlas Corrigan does.
On the other hand, some of the cinematographic choices were quite intelligent. For instance, filming the abuse as a little questionable, where even the audience wonders whether Ryle intentionally hurt Lily, puts us in the victim’s shoes. We are blinded by the same sense of denial as Lily to view Ryle as a “good” person, until the end where the abuse scenes are replayed in full clarity through which we get a better sense of the reality, as does Lily.
Overall, it felt as if all the plot points were hastily filmed to get a basic synopsis of the book, with thoughts only given to the sets, wardrobe (yet, somehow still disastrous), and the build-up of the relationship between Lily and Ryle. There was insufficient attention to emphasise the important parts, which would have allowed viewers to travel through the emotional journey alongside Lily. Therefore, I must agree with Blake Lively when she says, “Grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it!” – only if you want to watch an incredibly mediocre attempt to replicate one of the most popular romance novels in the past decade.
