Amazon Prime’s new romantic drama, The idea of youIt’s got it all: Anne Hathaway looking incredibly sexy, genuine boy band bops sung by a fake boy band, and, above all, Nicholas Galitzine looking very, very pretty while crying.
Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Robinne Lee (and not, in fact, Harry Styles fan fiction)The idea of youIt stars Hathaway as a 40-year-old single mother who dutifully takes her 16-year-old daughter to Coachella to see her favorite boy band, August Moon. When she accidentally walks into the trailer of 24-year-old leader Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), sparks immediately fly. Solène (Hathaway) insists that she is too old for him, but Hayes is persistent and eventually her love story blossoms.
But as Solène quickly discovers, dating a famous twenty-something pop star with a 40-something professional can sometimes be a little off-putting. Like, for example, when Solène goes on tour with Hayes’s gossiping and spiteful twenty-somethings. Those friends are very happy to inform Solène that she is not the first older woman to whom Hayes Campbell has dedicated a song. Solène politely apologizes and then packs her suitcase to go home. When Hayes tries to stop her from leaving, they get into her first big fight.
Hayes maintains that no one would care about the age difference if the gender roles were reversed. Solène replies that she knows many who would actually judge, including herself. And it’s here that Galitzine flaunts her beautiful crying skills.
“Are you ashamed of me? Is that so?” Galitzine asks, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
“I’m… ashamed,” Hathaway responds, with an equally devastating expression of pain. And that’s the moment my heart broke in two.
Most people don’t look good when they cry. Many of us look downright ugly when the water supply system is turned on. But not Galitzine. This man knows how to look good while he cries like it’s his job, which I guess he is. We’ve seen him do it before, when he got his heart broken as Prince of England in Red, white and royal blue, and when his character declared himself bisexual in The profession: legacy. It really is an art: you have to look like you’re in devastating pain while maintaining enough composure to deliver clear dialogue and look good while doing it. The man has talent!
And those crying talents are once again on full display in The idea of you, an addictive, heartbreaking romance that hits all the deliciously painful beats of heartbreak. Did I feel a little bad for enjoying the scenes in which Galitzine’s character suffered so much? Sure! But that didn’t stop me from rewinding the movie and replaying those pretty tears over and over again.
It’s worth noting that Hathaway is also incredibly good at just looking at Galitzine in the film: all of her big, conflicting emotions come through on her expressive face. Come enjoy the fictional plot and stay for the electric chemistry and top-notch acting. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll long for these two unconventional lovebirds to make it work. But don’t expect to look as good as Galitzine when you cry.
