Why you can trust 12DOVE
Opening up Alain de Botton’s book Essays On Love for the screen, Julian Kemp’s comedy runs riot with stop-motion animation, dizzying edits and ironic freeze-frames.
Alas, the one thing it doesn’t throw at you is a satisfying emotional punch. Hugh Grant-esque newcomer Brendan Patricks does his stammering best as a suicidal bloke reviewing the five exes who brought him to a romantic nadir, and there’s a charming turn from Naomie Harris.
But some flatly drawn characters, contrived sojourns from the story and a niggling sense of smugness make this a disappointing triumph of gimmickry over heart.
Jane Crowther is a contributing editor to Total Film magazine, having formerly been the longtime Editor, as well as serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Film Group here at Future Plc, which covers Total Film, SFX, and numerous TV and women's interest brands. Jane is also the vice-chair of The Critics' Circle and a BAFTA member. You'll find Jane on 12DOVE exploring the biggest movies in the world and living up to her reputation as one of the most authoritative voices on film in the industry.
I've seen enough: Assassin's Creed Shadows will beat Black Flag as my favorite AC game as Ubisoft says it lets you "Naruto run" as the "fastest Assassin" it's ever made
Marvel reveals its full slate of March 2025 comics and covers featuring the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, and more
After 6 years, Frostpunk 2 dev's unannounced game is canceled because it was conceived "under very different market conditions" when story-driven games "held stronger appeal"