Let the Music Sweep You Away
I recently started something doing something really fun. It's called Music League, and it's a social app where you and your friends share songs in a theme and vote on which ones you like the most. Though it can be a little damaging to my ego ("Bring Me to Life" is currently not performing well in the Goth round), I've really been enjoying engaging with music in a way I haven't in years. As I search for songs to fit themes like "Problematic Bops" and "Sunrise on Lake Pontchartrain," I'm rediscovering music I forgot I love and listening to brand new stuff that makes me feel like a teenager again. Maybe that's why I was drawn to watching the new Rom-Dram The Greatest Hits on Hulu.
Harriet (Lucy Boynton) is stuck in the past. Her boyfriend Max (David Corenswet) died in a car wreck two years ago, derailing Harriet's career as a music producer. She spends every evening listening to old records, trying to find the songs that will transport her back to happier times. That's literal, not metaphorical: when Harriet listens to certain songs, it takes her back to the first time she heard them with Max, and the memory will last as long as the song plays. She's obsessed with the idea that she can find a song that will convince him to do something differently, something that will save his life. She's attending a grief group when she meets David (Justin H. Min), whose parents both recently passed. The connection between them is undeniable, but Harriet will have to let go of the chance to change her past if she wants to have a future with David. |
This movie is like a great song: familiar but surprising, well-paced, and powered by delicious vibes. It's colorful and rich, with lots of thoughtful detail in wardrobe and set design that provides character development otherwise lacking in the script. Lucy Boynton as Harriet is compellingly damaged, and she has excellent chemistry with both male leads. I also really liked Austin Crute as Harriet's gay best friend, who manages to give depth to a tired stereotype. The movie does a lovely job of finding romance in everyday things, from a nickname to a shared pair of headphones. It's funny, in the way that people are often funny in conversation, but it's much more contemplative than the average romance movie. As Harriet faces the next stages of grief, she has to decide how much she will allow the loss of Max to define her. Letting go of the past will mean letting go of Max, and the person she was with him.
I really enjoyed this movie, but I definitely have conflicted feelings about how it ended. I won't spoil anything, but writer/director Ned Benson threads a complex needle in a way that I didn't find entirely satisfying from a story-telling standpoint. But from a true human experience standpoint, I think he's saying something nuanced and powerful about the nature of grief that I've never seen explored in quite this way. All of the actors were excellent and I expect to see more them soon, especially since David Corenswet was recently cast as Superman. Overall, I think this is one of the most interesting romance movies I've seen in years, and I recommend it mostly because I need more people to see it so we can talk about the ending. |
What's your favorite heartbreak song? Let me know!