Since I made my Goodreads account, I've been reviewing books. It's the biggest group of book lovers in the world, where you can find and read more books you'll enjoy and keep track of the ones you want to read. And yes, some of the Goodreads books I've read have been made into movies or TV shows. One of these is the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid called "One True Loves."
After watching the teaser for this light, sappy yet endearing enough romcom, I found myself siding with Emma's fiancé Sam rather than her estranged spouse Jesse, who arrives four years late to disrupt her wedding preparations.
But before we get into the review, allow me to introduce you to the main character of the film:
If you've watched the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, that's Simu Liu who played the character in One True Loves, "Sam".
Who could forget this actor, Luke Bracey? His role in The Best of Me (2014) is one of my favorites, and I absolutely adore him. This movie made me cry a lot of times while I was watching it. He is an amazing performer, and the way he brings Jesse to life in this movie, "One True Loves" is nothing short of brilliant.
Phillipa Anne Soo is an actress and singer from the United States. She is best known for her leading roles in musicals on Broadway. She has won two Grammy Awards and been nominated for a Tony Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. She first appeared on TV in the NBC series Smash in 2013. Since then, she has been in the Hulu miniseries Dopesick (2021) and the Apple TV+ show Shining Girls (2022). In the film, One True Loves she played the character of Emma.
And getting back to the movie itself, my opinion changed after I saw it. Initially, Sam (Simu Liu) came across as a little damp. Then Jesse (Luke Bracey) appeared again, this time wearing that awful tracksuit. Eventually, Sam's tone became quite paternalistic. And Jesse's tone became quite patriarchal. I came to the conclusion that Emma (Philippa Soo) would benefit from spending four years on a desert island alone, away from both of them.
It is very difficult to pick one loved one over another. Both people deserve your consideration. Because you don't want to do harm to anyone else, it might be quite difficult to decide what to do.
The choice that Sam has made to provide Emma with some personal space is the right decision. He wanted to give Emma some space to reflect on their relationship as well as her relationship to her husband, who had been presumed dead for four years but was found to be alive and expressed interest in reuniting with Emma.
On the other hand, Emma made the correct choice when she chose to spend quality time with Jesse (her husband). In my opinion, this is the case, because if she did not do that, she would not be able to determine which option to go with. After spending some time with Jesse, she realized how much she cared for Sam.
Nonetheless, in the end, Sam won over with his fixation on the three dots that appear when someone begins typing on a mobile device and then... stops.
The plot moves at an awkward pace, and the romantic subplots, which are what we really care about, are as absent as Jesse was for so long. Sam's character lacks emotions. I need more reactions from Sam and Emma. You'd have to convince me to keep loving these characters if I hadn't already done so, and "One True Loves" doesn't do a very good job of doing either of those things. Nevertheless, what I liked about this movie is the comedy part from Sam's students and co-teachers; they made a great team!
Plus, I have a great time watching it because I have with me my youngest daughter, a cousin, friends, and social media colleagues.
Super thank you VIVA INTERNATIONAL PICTURES AND MVP ENTERTAINMENT, GAISANO MALLS OF DAVAO, and GCinema for the #AprilMoviePremier.
This was all made possible by the following sponsors: HALO HALO 97.1 DAVAO, BLACK BEAUTY PHILIPPINES, MX3 CAPSULE, RD PAWNSHOP INC., PEST SCIENCE CORPORATION and GRAPIXELS MULTI MEDIA ADVERTISING
