Like its protagonist, One True Loves feels conflicted at times. While the film tries to tackle complex questions of grief, it also attempts to feel like a traditional romantic comedy at times. At its best, it is a moving, powerful, and thought-provoking commentary. However, at its lower points, it comes across as generic and rushed.
Adapted from the book of the same name, One True Loves follows a widow, Emma, portrayed by Phillipa Soo, as she is forced to choose between Jesse (Luke Bracey), her deceased husband who miraculously returns after being lost at sea, or the new love that she has found with her best friend from high school, Sam (Simu Liu).
Carried by a strong performance from Phillipa Soo, the film is quite effective in establishing its protagonist as a multifaceted character. Like in her previous roles on the stage, Soo continues to establish herself as a powerhouse actress, effortlessly portraying the hopefulness of being in love as well as the complex feelings that come with grief and loss. Placed in an impossible situation, Soo’s performance captures the internal struggle that Emma is grappling with without needing to verbalize how the character is feeling.
The film also benefits from strong performances from its two lead actors, Luke Bracey and Simu Liu, who both suit their roles quite well. Bracey brings a stoic quality to Jesse but also makes him feel reckless and passionate. Meanwhile, Liu brings a sarcastic charm to Sam that endears him to the audience. Despite playing off two vastly different characters, Soo’s Emma has great chemistry with both actors, making a compelling case for both men. The juxtaposition of these two performances brilliantly mirrors how Emma has changed as a character.
Being a love story, the film also contains some truly moving portrayals of love and romance, particularly between Soo and Liu. It features moments of tenderness between their characters, little moments that accurately showcase the feeling of falling in love. These scenes were a real highlight and helped its themes resonate a lot.
The film’s powerful message centers on love and how it changes us. Like any love triangle story, the ending is bound to be divisive, but the film gives justification for her choice. And while it may seem like a simple conclusion, it is impactful to see Emma make her decision and explain her rationale. The story does come to a satisfying conclusion that feels earned.
However, the film struggles with the order in which scenes are played. The film asks its audience to believe that Sam and Emma are in love, seemingly encouraging the audience to root for Sam. Yet it spends the first portion of the film recapping the love story between Emma and her first husband, Jesse.
Meanwhile, the audience is not shown Sam and Emma’s story until the third act of the film. While these scenes prove to be a high point of the story, they suffer a bit from their placement in the plot. Sam is shown processing his emotions by talking through his feelings with his students. While it seems as if the audience is supposed to be rooting for Sam, they are given no real reason until the last segment of the film.
Additionally, for a film that centers around grief, it does not give a lot of time for the characters to sit with their emotions. Emma is not given time to grieve the loss of her husband until he has already returned. Meanwhile, every time Emma, Jesse, or Sam are given time to deal with the emotional implications of their situation, the filmmakers choose to cut to a different character. Given the shorter run time, the film could have benefited from letting the characters breathe a bit.
The film has some tonal issues, as well, even though there is a place for humor in a film with heavy topics. Simu Liu’s character, Sam is given these long rants and emotional outbursts in his class before cutting back to Emma’s moral dilemma. In a film so deeply rooted in grief, these scenes feel out of place and come across as tone-deaf at times. They are intended to be humorous but Sam verbalizing his emotions just feels cliche. It feels as if the filmmakers felt they needed the humor to keep the audience engaged, but did not think through where it should be placed.
One True Loves provides an interesting commentary on the complex relationship between love and grief. Phillipa Soo’s charming chemistry with both male leads makes both love stories equally compelling. It is an emotional albeit conflicted film that will leave its audience pondering the true meaning of love.
One True Loves will be available in select theaters beginning April 7, 2023 courtesy of The Avenue. The film will also be available on digital on April 14th and On Demand on April 28th.
One True Loves provides an interesting commentary on the complex relationship between love and grief.
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GVN Rating 7
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I’m Andrew! I love discussing movies and tv shows. My favorite genres include animation, musicals, and especially Superheroes.