Director: Josh Boone
Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Nat Wolff, Lily Collins, Greg Kinnear, Kristen Bell, Logan Lermann, Patrick Schwarzenegger
Rating: 15
Running Time: 96 Mins
Recently film makers have caught on to the disinterest in the generic rom-coms and realised that more needs to be offered to the people. STUCK IN LOVE offers that. Instead of focusing on the ‘he said she said’ world of romance, STUCK IN LOVE explores all relationships, those with lovers, family, friends and one self.
STUCK IN LOVE will have you yearning and believing in love one second, and then swearing it, and any potential lovers, off within the next minute. It shows the complexity of emotions, which doesn’t always involve only two people but takes circumstances, life, scars and childhoods memories into consideration.
Casual sexual relationships, adultery and shagging to numb pain are shamelessly explored. The supporting roles are equally as engaging as that of the Borgens family. Kristen Bell plays the cheater with a smile, who takes a personal interest in helping Bill (Kinnear) move on from his two year divorce and to put himself out on the market. Her view of love is juggling a marriage and kids, with 20 minute sex sessions with a neighbour. On the other side there’s Lou (Logan Lermann) who uses love to fix Samantha’s (Lily Collins) cynicism and fear of heartbreak.
The siblings Sam and Rusty are both waiting for their writing debut as they have been trained for their entire life by their father (Greg Kinnear). This explores the intertwined world of literature and the search for love. Nat Wolff is truly the star of the film as he plays the younger, brother of Sam and is an even more struggling writer than she is. However, his transformation from hopeless romantic to supporting boyfriend is truly admirable of both the character and Wolff.
Although there are some awkward moments, and with the short 90 minutes some of the actions over the one year from one Thanksgiving to the following one can feel very rushed. However the incredibly rich characters and their anguish make the 90 minutes full and more than satisfying.
STUCK IN LOVE is a great trip showing the consequences, and cures of love and how no matter age, gender or experience it affect everyone.
STUCK IN LOVE is out on DVD in the UK on the 18th of November via Koch Media.
