Wish You Were Here, 2025.

Written and Directed by Julia Stiles.
Starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jimmie Fails, Gabby Kono, Jennifer Grey, Kelsey Grammer, Jordan Gavaris, Josh Caras, Antonique Smith, Jane Stiles, and Mike Carlsen.

SYNOPSIS:

A woman searching for a spark finds a whirlwind night of romance with a man only to discover he is terminally ill and commits to helping him spend his last days living life to the fullest.

Something is drastically off throughout the meet-cute/spontaneous first night spent between directionless restaurant server Charlie (Isabelle Fuhrman) and mural artist Adam. Unfortunately for Julia Stiles’ directorial debut Wish You Were Here (also penning the screenplay, adapting the book by Renée Carlino), it’s more a case of contrived screenwriting that forces one character to dance around an important topic because if these adults communicated like, well, adults, there wouldn’t be a movie.

There is a mutual attraction between Charlie and Adam, but the latter continuously speaks in something resembling riddles and mysteries about love. For some perspective, I was getting the impression that it would be one of those traveling-through-time rom-coms and that Adam is a reincarnated soul who had known Charlie in a previous life. When all is revealed, what’s actually happening here is so unbearably mawkish that all the genuine charm from Isabelle Fuhrman that the film was passably coasting on evaporates into this cloying trash pile.

After a successful first date that encompasses everything from personal conversations to connecting personalities to creating a mural together to capping the night off with sex, in the morning, Adam’s mixed messaging swings into full-on pushing Charlie away, insisting that this was a one-night stand and she knows it. Devastated, Charlie receives support from her longtime best friend/co-worker (Gabby Kono) and kooky parents (Jennifer Gray and Kelsey Grammar), with her mom and well-meaning jokester brother (Jordan Gavaris) teaming to sign her up for a dating service under the impression that some of her problems in life would be solved by finding the right man (a regressive mindset, for sure, but also the least of the film’s issues.)

To the film’s credit, Charlie does resist that notion but quickly gives in to the prospect of meeting up with an observant, handsome man (Jimmie Fails) who turns out to be a combination of a sensitive soul and a playfully passionate college football mascot costumer. It’s a crime that I don’t remember seeing Jimmie Fails since his tremendously evocative breakout work in The Last Black Man in San Francisco, something that this film cements; he’s the only one who consistently feels like a real, believable person here. That’s also helped because he has the least screen time of the three principal characters. Someone put him in a romance that’s actually good, ASAP.

That’s also not to say Isabelle Fuhrman is bad. As stated, she is charming and easy to get behind, working a job she hates (surrounded by obnoxious customers), hounded by her family to do something productive in life, having bad luck with relationships, and possessing a sweet spark. Adam comes back into the film for reasons that won’t be spoiled, and Wish You Were Here spirals, letting Isabelle Fuhrman down in the process and giving her nothing to do but weepy, aggressively emotionally manipulative nonsense. Also playing out in the background is a ridiculous subplot that sees her best friend also find love, move out of the room they share, and get engaged, all within what feels like less than a month.

It’s also made clear that Wish You Were Here is striving to say something resonant regarding ghosting (and how maybe we don’t always owe someone an explanation for doing so) and how a critical component of love comes down to timing. How Julia Stiles (presumably the book) tackles that message is nothing short of insufferable melodrama that forces two of its characters to service those themes rather than exist as people who feel human. The kindest thing that can be said is that, at the very least, the story doesn’t morph into a tasteless, ludicrous love triangle.

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

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd 

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Violence, corruption, cartels, kidnappings and drug runners. These are the negative stereotypes one thinks of when they think of the worst aspects of Mexico City. But for drug lord, Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofia Gascón) they are a way of life. Hell, he is the one responsible for it and profiting from it all. But it is time for a change of sorts.

Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) is a brilliant yet unappreciated lawyer disillusioned with her career. After successfully defending yet another scumbag criminal, she is offered work from a new client, Manitas. Manitas has an odd request (well a demand) one which comes from having always felt like they were born into the wrong body. They want Rita to facilitate gender affirming surgery in secret so that they can begin a new life as a woman. With a huge payday in store, Rita throws her scruples to the wind and helps Manitas fake his death and find a doctor. Manitas is no more and so ‘Senora Emilia Perez‘ is born.

Four years later, Rita finally has the life and respect she always wanted, until Emilia comes back with another request, wishing to be reunited with Juan‘s wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children under the guise of being Manitas‘ wealthy cousin. While this farce works at first, it isn’t long before the past catches up to Emilia as they attempt to turn over a new leaf and right the wrongs of Mexico. But remember, Manitas was a violent drug lord after all…

One of the most lauded and awarded films of 2024 finally sees its Australian release in 2025. The second most nominated film in Golden Globe history went home with 4 wins including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and a Best Supporting Actress award for Saldaña. However, visionary filmmaker Jacques Audiard‘s genre bending story of redemption and crime has proven to be not without controversy at the same time.

Emilia Perez is a story with a lot of heart, a lot to say and honestly a lot of moralising. This has been called into question with a French filmmaker and a cast of foreigners telling a story with themes and subjects so important to Mexican people. Lack of local talent and Audiard’s admitted lack of research into context has been criticised. The Spanish dialogue which to an outsider simply reading subtitles might seem acceptable, may also seem off to those who can speak it fluently.

But looking past that, I can appreciate Audiard‘s originality and refusal to tell this story in any sort of conventional way. Often even if something doesn’t work, it’s still admirable for a filmmaker to take a chance. While praise has been heaped on Emilia Perez, I still believe that there’s many ways the film just doesn’t quite come together.

It seems ironic that a film entirely about finding your true self can be so lost in grasping an identity of its own. Is this a pop musical? A violent crime thriller? A family drama? A story of redemption or of being unable to truly change who you are deep down? It’s a little bit of everything, and so none of it really feels like it takes centre stage. 

The story of a violent drug lord trying to literally become a completely different person is a fascinating one. Gascón switches between the two personas impressively yet is never given a chance to play it as anything more than a bipolar transperson. Saldaña as well earns the acclaim which has come her way but ‘Rita‘ becomes lost amongst endless twists. The sanctimoniousness of her character looking down on the corruption of the elite as she wilfully takes money to whitewash and reinvent a drug kingpin feels unexplored.

This is all despite Emilia Perez‘ lengthy runtime and much of it is due to the film failing as a musical. Giving ‘Joker Folie à deux‘ a run for its money, Emilia Perez just seems to want to be a musical without figuring out how to make it work. While some musical scenes feature stunning choreography from Damien Jalet, others just have the cast reciting run on dialogue that’s set to a beat. Every time this occurs; it detracts from the film rather than enhancing it.

Imagine having a normal conversation which changes into a strangely structured and forced song and dance before suddenly going back to regular speech patterns. Sounds incredibly obnoxious and irritating, right? Well congratulations, you’ve grasped Jacques Audiard‘s approach to the musical genre!

Emilia Perez is considered by some to be one of the greatest films of the year. However, I found it to be an incredibly unlikable and grating experience. A hodgepodge of ideas rolled up into a mess of film genres and styles, one which is bold and not afraid to take chances, but not one which is successfully executed in any meaningful way.

Emilia Perez is in cinemas from January 16th.