Love Repeat Synopsis: James is still in love with his ex-wife. His quirky circle of family and friends are all breaking up too. But, in a crazy world, love is the only thing that makes sense.
James (Bill Connington) is madly in love with Barbara (Leenya Rideout). The only problem is she’s his ex-wife. But to James, Barbara is perfection, and he would do anything to win her back. The divorce seems amicable enough, and both James and Barbara are dating other people.
Barbara, with a handsome, wealthy new man, and James… well, he’s trying. All the while, the people in James’s life are also falling apart. His parents are separating, his best friends are breaking up, and his new nanny is dealing with some relationship issues of his own. Basically, love is in crisis just about everywhere.
Love Repeat is a romantic comedy that is based on reality. There are no insane shenanigans or minor miscommunications and misunderstandings to create conflict. Our leads are two ordinary people going through something that so many can relate to. Divorce. Dating. Moving on. The movie handles these issues with a lot of humor and poignancy.
I absolutely loved the varying shots of New York City in the wintertime. They added a sense of whimsical magic to the movie in a way only New York could. James’s voiceovers express his love for the city, and honestly, they seem to match the love he expresses for Barbara.
I also enjoyed that we got to peek into the varying relationships surrounding James, including his parents – his mother, played by Carole Monferdini, was an absolute delight – and even the very brief interaction between Barbara’s new boyfriend and his ex. It would have been nice to get more insight into these relationships and their problems, but as the movie is mainly focused on James and Barbara, I understand it’s hard to pack a lot of character development and subplots into a 77-minute movie.
Bill Connington is quite adept at providing the subtle humor as James, but it’s his friend Chad (Marcus Ho) and Chad’s sometimes-estranged wife Lavayna (Nandita Shenoy) that go for the big laughs with their dramatic, swooning marriage. Yes, the movie is grounded in reality, but that doesn’t mean you must take every scene seriously. In fact, I think Love Repeat would prefer that you don’t. In fact, it even seems to poke a little fun at various rom-com tropes, like the makeover fashion montage that ends with a date asking if James is attending a Halloween party.
If I were to have any gripes about the movie, it would be that the end felt a bit too easy; the conflict cleared up with a simple declaration. But… even while Love Repeat doesn’t feel like a conventional rom-com, it’s still a rom-com! And sometimes, we don’t need a race to the airport or a grand gesture to get the HEA.
I really think that if you’re a fan of the genre, you will enjoy this movie. It’s a sweet second-chance romance with some genuinely funny moments, really lovely music, and of course, those gorgeous shots of New York.
Please Note: I was provided with a screener to provide an honest review!
Watched: 02/24/2021
Notable Song: Yes, I Know by Dierdre Breoderick
