Both movies have Oscar-winning actresses leading and women (mothers) who fall for much younger men, but one is a clear winner.
"A Family Affair," streams on Netflix, starring the age-defying Nicole Kidman, tells the story of a very self-absorbed actor, Chris Cole (Zac Efron), who starts a fling with a Pulitzer winner writer and a more mature woman, Brook Harwood (Kidman), who also happens to be the mother of his personal assistant, ) and inspiring producer Zara (Joey King). It is meant to be funny, like physically, in-your-face funny, but it falls flat apart from that first face wall smash courtesy of King's character. Apart from this comedic moment, I find Zara a very one-dimensional character, with no real depth to her or her drivers; she is basically the same girl from "The Kissing Booth," awkward but cute. I also never understood why an intelligent, beautiful woman like Brook would even entertain a romance with this manchild. The only part of the movie worth rescuing is Brook's conversations with her former mother-in-law, Lella Ford, played by Kathy Bates. Although I thought it was a very progressive relationship, given that Harwood was the widow of Lella's son, it has honest conversations about the expectations of women who are wondering what to do in this new stage in life; once the children are raised, and the awards have been won, and the husbands have been buried. Can anything still excite us? I think I would have felt very differently about this movie if there was ever a glimpse of profound and deeper understanding from the male character, besides the smoking body, the youth and the fame, things that I wouldn't think a character like Brook would really care for, I didn't see any charming element that would make her take a leap and fall.
"The Idea of You" premiered a few months ago on Amazon Prime, and although it starts with the same premise, an older woman and an exciting celebrity young love interest, it gives me all the reasons I need to defend that love. Sol (Anne Hathaway) is a single mom of a teenage girl who has a complicated relationship with her ex-husband and new wife. She meets boyband member Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galatzine) at a meet-and-greet event at a music festival. Sol has trust issues after a cheating ex-husband, an artistic and meaningful career, who puts her daughter's needs above it all. Now that I get. Even if their relationship was purely physical, which tracks, I understood the why; I got the crazy chemistry and attraction irradiating from both characters. But there is more; there are layers to Hayes; even with his youth, he gets her soul, which is hard to find and even harder to explain. I understood all the character's reasoning and actions throughout the movie; the daughter that is mad at her mom for hiding her relationship and struggling to support her, the ex-husband's selfishness and inability to see fault in his own character, but quickly to judge Sol for her choices, Sol's decision to sacrifice a potentially lasting relationship for the sake of her daughter, it all made sense. Besides that, Hollywood gifted us with a happy ending not included in the original story. I knew it was forced, but I was pleased because you should be able to be a good mother and still find the love of your life; why the hell not? It gives hope vibes because what is more romantic than a love that is willing to wait until you have your shit together?
I give the first one a rating of "popcorn was the best part" of the movie, and the second one "will be part of my collection." It is good for Hollywood to push for stories where women don't just become dead inside whose identity is only defined by motherhood after they are 40.
Rating:
OMG, so good!
It will be part of my collection!
Theatre worthy
The popcorn was the best part
Is this for real?
So bad is not even funny
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