The Idea of You, 2024.

Directed by Michael Showalter.
Starring Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfeld, Jordan Aaron Hall, Mathilda Gianopoulos, Meg Millidge, Cheech Manohar, Raymond Cham Jr., Jaiden Anthony, Vik White, Dakota Adan, Roxy Rivera, Graham Norton, Grace Junot, and Jon Levine.

SYNOPSIS:

Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.

There is no denying that The Idea of You, a romantic drama in which the meet-cute involves a 40-year-old divorced mom and artist unknowingly stumbling into a 24-year-old global celebrity pop star’s trailer under the assumption it’s a bathroom while taking her 16-year-old daughter and her friends to Coachella, is ridiculous. However, co-writer/director Michael Showalter’s film is also a reminder that it doesn’t necessarily matter how improbable a romance is so long as the screenplay does something compelling with the dynamic and would-be lovers.

Admittedly, it takes a while to get to that point since the film is based on what feels more like someone’s fantasy than a novel (Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt adapting the work of Robinne Lee), but once the film confronts the reality of how difficult such an unlikely relationship would be, not to mention how judgmental and nasty society and Internet culture can be, the screenplay from Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt leans further into a more human, grounded side of these characters that Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine convey with gripping emotion. This also means that the second half sometimes feels like it’s rushing through its thornier, more adult, and engaging material, but there is just enough tackling every subject a film with this premise probably should, barring an unnecessary, hokey epilogue that reverts to something far-fetched.

Even setting those frustrations aside, it is admirable that Michael Showalter is comfortable embracing a romantic comedy formula, aware and confident that such tropes are less irksome when the endeavor is injected with characterization. Once the story goes in a serious direction, moving on from the will-they/won’t-they part of the attraction, one practically forgets the absurdity of how these characters were brought together. That is a true, telltale sign that something is working here. It all leads to several moments of piercing emotion between two people harboring trust issues, trying to make this relationship work.

Solène (Anne Hathaway) sees all the reasons she should try resisting superstar boy band singer Hayes’s (Nicholas Galitzine) charm; he is much younger, and she has a teenage daughter (Ella Rubin) who listens to their music (although Hayes is not her crush). The world, including the ex-husband (Reid Scott) who cheated on and left her, will judge the nature of the relationship.

Is it awkward when the father drops by to pick up his daughter with a much younger man answering the door shirtless? Sure. It’s also amusing. It’s also harmless, but when the gender roles are reversed, this age gap is generally an acceptable celebrity dating lifestyle. Leonardo DiCaprio seems determined never to be caught dead dating someone older than 25, Chris Evans just married a woman in her 20s, and Billie Eilish previously dated a man in his 30s. Even movies rarely touch on the reverse of this age gap, perhaps for several reasons, but I won’t dive into those hypotheticals.

What it does come down to is that people, especially men on the Internet, will always look for reasons to attack and hurl insults at women, as if that happiness threatens them. There is a moment where Solène takes charge, determined to make the relationship work despite that. We desperately hope they are successful, completely ready to be heartbroken if it doesn’t pan out.

For whatever reason, the film sidelines the teenage daughter at a summer camp, actively avoiding this intriguing trauma in favor of watching Solène accompany Hayes on his European tour (smartly aware that music and concerts are not the main attraction of this story) filled with bonding and sex (unfortunately, the PG-13 style despite an R rating, leaving one wishing the direction went for something more steamy and sensual. This section drags on, although there are noteworthy scenes showcasing how much more mature Solène is than these younger men (obviously), as well as how sincere Hayes is with his commitment. 

If it seems this review mostly only discusses the second half of The Idea of You, this is mostly a straightforward, corny rom-com until the ideas take hold. As such, it takes a while to get invested properly, but damn do Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine make a great on-screen pairing, age and social class gap be damned. The movie morphs from fantasy into something believably messy and real right before one’s eyes.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com

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In a departure from the labor rebellions that roiled Hollywood last year, the latest set of contract negotiations between a major entertainment union and the top studios has unfolded about as smoothly as could be expected. So far.

The various West Coast studio locals that make up the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which advocates for film and TV crew members, have engaged over the past month in separate bargaining sessions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros and other entertainment companies.

Those talks — tailored to the specific concerns of costume designers, hair and makeup artists, set decorators and other workers — transpired without incident.

Now the union representing so-called below-the-line workers is poised to enter broader negotiations on Monday for its basic agreement, which will cover the most pressing items affecting entertainment craftspeople. This phase is the big one that could, depending on how talks go, result in another historic agreement or yet another work stoppage.

“The stakes are very high … certainly in light of what happened last year,” said Todd Holmes, associate professor of cinema and television arts at Cal State Northridge.

“It’s a challenging environment,” he added. “There’s need for cautious optimism because of what’s gone on individually with the crafts, but I still think it’s going to take some time to iron out an agreement.”

Unlike the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Writers Guild of America, IATSE has never staged a nationwide strike in its 131-year history. It came close, however, in 2021 when crew members overwhelmingly voted in favor of authorizing a walkout. (IATSE and the AMPTP ultimately averted a work stoppage by settling their standoff shortly before the strike was set to commence.)

This year, a crew member walkout is looking decreasingly likely. However, some have speculated that the slow return to production in the wake of the writers’ and actors’ labor actions could be due in part to the companies playing it extra safe in anticipation of another potential shutdown.

The overlapping writers’ and actors’ walkouts came as a devastating blow on both sides of the bargaining table, rendering countless crew members jobless for at least six months and upending the release schedules of the entertainment companies, which were already struggling financially due to overspending from the streaming wars.

“Look, people need to work,” said Matthew Loeb, IATSE’s international president. “And to the extent that our goals are met, the earlier [a deal is struck] the better. … We don’t want companies holding off on greenlighting pictures or moving them. We want to keep the business on track and make the recovery from last year.”

In a statement provided to The Times, a spokesperson for the studios said, “The AMPTP is pleased by the progress we have made and remains focused on the task at hand: collaborating with our union partners to reach a fair deal that keeps crew members on the job without interruption and recognizes the contributions they make to our industry.”

Prior to the start of general negotiations, the 13 Hollywood locals struck tentative deals with the AMPTP according to each group’s needs.

The trade-specific agreements fell like dominoes, beginning March 22 with the cinematographers (Local 600), art directors (Local 800) and set painters (Local 729) and ending last week with the studio teachers (Local 884) and affiliated property craftspeople (Local 44). The union has remained tight-lipped about the contents of those deals, though craft-specific contracts historically have addressed issues such as workflow for editors, camera operating practices and working conditions for costumers.

Loeb hopes that’s a good omen for the tenor of the ongoing negotiations.

“It’s civil,” Loeb said. “I think their demeanor is right. Everybody wants to avoid a strike. But that’s not to say that it’s a foregone conclusion that they’ll meet our demands.

“It’s not a war,” he added. “We don’t bargain for a strike. We bargain for a contract.”

This wave of bargaining is expected to cover topics such as wages, pension and health benefits, work-life balance and job security, as well as streaming residuals and artificial intelligence, which emerged as sticking points during the writers’ and actors’ contract campaigns.

The efficiency of the craft-specific talks bodes well for the general negotiations, Holmes observed. He noted, however, that the parties’ “reconciliatory tone” could “go south or … change quickly” over hot-button issues such as AI.

Terms related to pay, subcontracting, work-life balance and AI could prove especially challenging to nail down in general negotiations — which will introduce “more difficult issues,” according to a source close to the studios who was not authorized to comment.

In a Monday memo to IATSE members, business representatives for the 13 locals described the general stage as “the bigger challenge ahead,” citing “more complex and consequential” agenda items.

IATSE is seeking “significant” wage increases to keep up with inflation, higher penalties for rest-period violations, enhanced sick leave and bumps in streaming residuals, as well as regulations around subcontracting and AI. Crew members also are demanding additional funding for their pension and health plans amounting to at least $670 million.

The union has said it doesn’t intend to prolong regular talks beyond the current contract’s expiration date of July 31.

By then, “My hope is that we will have an agreement to send out for ratification,” Loeb said. “But if we don’t, then … it would be a strike authorization vote.”

The first round of general negotiations is tentatively scheduled to run from April 29 through May 16. Loeb said that the best-case scenario would deliver a resolution in less than two months.

“Conversations have been productive to date, but it’s going to take a while to work through the issues on the table in general negotiations as they’re very complicated” and can’t be resolved overnight, said a source close to the studios who was not authorized to comment.

In March, IATSE, Teamsters Local 399 and other unions representing more than 66,000 below-the-line workers hosted a rally in Encino’s Woodley Park to kick off their simultaneous contract campaigns. The event was attended by thousands of industry professionals, including crew members, writers and actors — fresh off the success of their own labor actions.

“The AMPTP, they learned a lesson,” Holmes said. “The WGA and SAG played hardball with them, and they held out longer than [the studios] anticipated. So I think that the AMPTP is in more of a mode of negotiation … than they were a year ago.”

A still from ‘Late Night with the Devil’

Over a year since its first premiere, Late Night with the Devil has finally emerged as a biting satire and a cautionary tale wrapped in the trappings of a Halloween horror special. Directed by Australian duo Colin and Cameron Cairnes, the film presents a deviously sinister narrative set against the backdrop of a 1970s talk show, delivering both nostalgia for the era and a fresh take on the plagues of mainstream media.

David Dastmalchian shines as the hapless Delroy, channeling equal parts charm and desperation. Once a rising star in the late-night circuit, the talk show host finds himself grappling with declining ratings and personal tragedy. Beneath Delroy’s slick smile lies a darkness that threatens to consume him whole. As the night unfolds and the studio descends into chaos, Delroy’s Faustian bargain becomes increasingly clear, serving as a prophetic admonition for the pitfalls of ambition in the cutthroat world of showbiz.

The Cairnes brothers’ meticulous attention to detail is evident in every frame, as they skillfully recreate the aesthetic of a ‘70s studio. From the vintage celluloid wash of period-appropriate equipment to the pitch-perfect performances that straddle the line between camp and sincerity, the film transports us back in time, immersing us in the bygone era of live TV.

The Australian filmmakers demonstrate a keen eye for parody, infusing every dialogue with sly wit and biting humor that all hint at a brewing tragedy about to unfold. The writing revels in its own absurdity while never losing sight of its thematic underpinnings. Through Delroy’s increasingly desperate attempts to salvage his show à la Network’s Howard Beale, the film skewers the shallowness of celebrity culture and the relentless pursuit of ratings at any cost. It’s a deliciously wicked send-up of an industry built on smoke and mirrors, where reasoning is often sacrificed on the altar of entertainment.

David Dastamalchian as Jack Delroy in a still from ‘Late Night with the Devil’

Delroy’s interactions with the eclectic cast of characters — including the creepy Lilly (played with frightening eccentricity by Ingrid Torelli), the charming psychic Christou (a scene-stealing turn by Fayssal Bazi), and a curmudgeonly skeptic Carmichael (played by Ian Bliss) whose sole purpose seems to remind us as the audience of how stupid we are from the get-go — is disconcerting to watch, each interaction provoking an uncomfortable wriggle in our seats in anticipation for the climactic tipping-point.

Without a doubt, the pièce de résistance of the film, much to the glee of horror aficionados, is its delightful medley of homage to genre classics. From John Carpenter’s gleefully grotesque embrace of practical body-horror to loving tributes honoring Linda Blair’s iconic, hair-raising transformation, the Cairnes’ love affair with the genre dances across the screen with a flair that’s uniquely their own.

While Late Night with the Devil is undeniably a horror film, it transcends genre conventions with the Cairnes brothers expertly balancing moments of tension and humour, keeping us hooked from start to finish. With its tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film delivers (nervous) laughs aplenty amidst the screams, serving as a wickedly entertaining romp through the darker corners of the entertainment industry. Though the film may lack some genuine surprises, its real strength lies in its sardonic observations on the industry and some chilling, atmospheric storytelling.

Late Night with the Devil is a devilishly clever satire that serves to expose the dangers of unchecked ambition and the seduction of sensationalism in the media. It’s a reminder that lurking within the neon glows of our living rooms (or perhaps just among the Jimmy’s) are the most malevolent monsters we willingly welcome.

Late Night with the Devil is currently running in theatres.