Álvaro Cervantes starrer ‘Love At First Kiss’ on Netflix has grown on to become one of the most talked-about Spanish romcoms this month. But is the movie worth your time? Or can you simply skip it? Read the full movie review to find out.
Alternate Name: Eres tú
Director: Alauda Ruiz de Azúa
Cast: Álvaro Cervantes, Silvia Alonso, Susana Abaitua, Gorka Otxoa, Pilar Castro, Elisabeth Larena, Ninton Sánchez, Paula Muñoz, Fabia Castro, Lara Oliete, Mauro Muñiz De Urquiza, Adrián Fernández Sánchez
Available On: Netflix
Duration: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
The story revolves around Javier, who can see the future of a relationship in the very first kiss. However, he finally gets to meet two women - one with whom he sees a great romantic future and the other one whose future he can't see at all. And that's not all, one of the girls also happens to be his best friend's girlfriend. Crazy mess, isn't it? So, who would he finally choose to fall in love with? Who among the two girls will fall for him? Will the best friend ever find out? Will all of them eventually leave our hero and walk out of his life? Well, for all that you'll have to watch the movie.
Álvaro Cervantes carries the film on his shoulders perfectly. He is definitely the lovable boy-next-door that you expect to see in such romcoms. He talks less, but the way his expressions come out are simply apt for the storyline. It would not be an exaggeration to say that through this film, he would make billions of girls fall in love with his sublime body language and romantic gestures.
Silvia Alonso and Susana Abaitua as the two female leads are two opposite ends of the spectrum. Both, however, have brought out their strengths onscreen and showcased it to perfection. Alonso’s cuteness is the selling point of the character. However, it’s more of the strong stand on important topics that will win you away. Abaitua picked up a character that’s so vastly different from what she is in real life, and that transition makes her character even more intriguing to watch. With the way she narrates her exotic stories coupled with those bouts of laughter in between, she is the perfect girl-next-door whom we all expect to have.
Gorka Otxoa didn’t have too much of a character in the film. However, his character is a brilliant way to show how good actors can take up smaller characters and turn that around to leave a mark in the viewer’s minds. While he is just about okay in the first half, when he returns in his bearded look in the second half, he has not just increased the hotness quotient onscreen, but has also upped the ante of his character. That transition from an well-calculated risk-taker to someone who doesn’t give a damn about the world is brilliantly shown by him.
Cristóbal Garrido and Adolfo Valor’s writing makes this unique one liner of a concept into a fantastic storyline. While many films are great as a one-line plot, but not all of them are able to convert it into a proper screenplay, but Cristóbal Garrido and Adolfo Valor ensure that there is familiarity in the story and everyone watching it can not just see the characters in real life but also image their own selves in them.
Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s direction has the perfect nuances that a romcom needs. The presentation is dripping in love when needed, is thoughtful when needed, is funny when needed and is deeply emotional when needed – what else can you ask for? However, the ending became a bit too predictable as the climax was unfolding. That could have been avoided and an open ending would have been a perfect way to bring closure to the story.
Sergi Gallardo’s cinematography brings to life the cities of Spain like never before. As global audiences get to see the film on Netflix, the experience of traversing through the lanes and bylanes of Spanish cities is just too beautiful to miss out on. A special mention needs for the way the intimate scenes have been filmed. They’re so aesthetically pleasing and non-vulgar that even when you’re watching it at home, you won’t feel awkward in any way. Kudos to that.
Ivan Palomares’s music is something that’s soothing. Yet, the background score doesn’t lend the perfect feel to some scenes. Some of the indoor shots, which were primarily emotional ones, didn’t have the necessary tones to it, which could have brought out the emotion even better in the audience’s eyes.
The editing, although taut, could have reduced a bit of the longish scenes in the middle. It started dragging a bit when there is less of romcom happening and more of a heart-to-heart talk happening.
Yes
‘Love At First Kiss’ is a unique romcom that not only has a necessary tropes of a romcom but also gives the new-age audience something unique and innovative. However, the movie does tend to be a little bit dragging in the middle, and the ending post the climax could have been slightly reworked. Besides that, ‘Love At First Kiss’ is a great One-Time Watch. I am going with 3.5 stars.