Directed by Will Gluck, “Anyone But You,” hit theaters across the nation on Dec. 22. The movie has been eagerly anticipated by audiences.
The plot follows Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell), who make an initial connection at a coffee shop, but it quickly turns cold and they stop talking. Six months later, the two find themselves coincidentally at Bea’s Sister’s Australian destination wedding, but their strained relationship adds tension to the celebration. The wedding party intervenes in an attempt to end the friction between them, leading them to pretend to be a couple to ease the stress among the group.
The most admirable part of the movie was the cinematography. The shots of Australia’s beaches, city and famous opera house make the movie visually appealing. The visuals become a crucial part of the narrative, capturing the city’s natural beauty and pulling the audience into every scene. Whether it’s the calm ocean shores or the lively skyline at night, the cinematography makes the overall viewing experience more vivid and engaging by portraying Sydney’s captivating settings.
While the cinematography in “Anyone But You” was impressive, the plot felt cliche and predictable. The connection between Bea and Ben felt superficial and rushed, lacking in realness and depth. The whole story sticks to a typical structure, and the connections between the characters develop too quickly without exploring the needed layers of complexity. The fast pace of their personal relationships added to the feeling of superficiality, leading it to be hard for the audience to fully engage with the characters and their journeys. The lack of detail in the relationship between Bea and Ben and the predictable plot patterns reduce the movie’s ability to provide a more captivating and significant movie-watching experience.
Despite the initial appeal of the visuals, the movie’s failure to deliver impressive acting and well-developed characters left me feeling underwhelmed.“Anyone But You” is not a movie I would recommend watching, because of its predictable plot, characters that aren’t well-developed and acting that doesn’t feel believable or compelling.
