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ADMR – Anyone But You is a cookie-cutter rom-com with a star on the rise but not much else – 3.2/5

Anyone But You? Anyone but ME

As you know, The Average Dude is 100% committed to consistency. Have I not brought you at least one review every week since I first put pen to paper (metaphorically)? And even in the lean stretch twice each year, I still venture out to sample something if there is ANYTHING that MIGHT POSSIBLY be worth our time. This week, I felt my only shot was to see the new Pixar show. Then, inspiration struck…I would give Mrs. Average Dude the choice. She’s been so amazingly supportive of my blog. This feels like small reward for her loyalty but I give it with much love. She chose the only rom-com currently out at our moviehaus: Anyone But You.

There is no better place from which to view the world than from behind three feet of mahogany

Anyone But You most notably stars Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney as the pretty people poster children of this totally formulaic romantic comedy. They are by no means the only stars in this firmament. I had a vague notion of seeing Sweeney around in something somewhere, but names like Dermot Mulroney and Bryan Brown (the amazing Douglas Coughlin from ‘Cocktail’) have a well-known legacy. Rachel Griffiths has a smallish biography but enough that Mrs AD and I were trying to figure out where we had seen her (The Rookie, to save you the search).

Demi-star power

 

Even Hadley Robinson was familiar, having just watched her charming performance in The Boys in the Boat. And maybe it’s just me. Or maybe it’s just that I’m, you know, an average dude. But I live in a world where not everyone is flawlessly gorgeous and every apartment is affordable. There is no trendy coffee shop downstairs. And yes, I know my world has rugged dudes that can absorb multiple gunshot wounds and recover with asprin and tied off with a piece of a dirty shirt. Like I said…I’m an average dude. To each their own.

So pretty it’s ridiculous

So, yes…I realize for whom these movies are made and the prettiness factor is dialed up to an unrealistic eleven. Like the Hallmark movies that Mrs Average Dude loves, everyone is perfect and love wins out in the end. That’s not a spoiler. I did mention that this is the most formulaic rom-com in the history of rom-coms, yes?

Two generations of pretty

Even so, I was able to appreciate this movie when viewed as an AD who loves his Mrs AD with the fiery passion of every rom-com pairing ever. Not because of the story, which was painfully contrived and predictable. And not because of the minor star power, because the script was mostly so bad it was cringe (which the movie actually admits!). No, this movie was enjoyable due a couple of quirky moments, a few chuckles and the irresistable charm of Glen Powell.

Just paying his dues

Anyone But You is ‘chokkers’ with bargain bin stars…there’s a poor man’s Gal Gadot, a poor man’s Kirsten Dunst, a poor man’s Thor Odinson (he was actually called ‘B*tch Hemsworth’). And if I’m being honest, Glen Powell is a poor man’s Ryan Reynolds. It’s okay. That’s a really high bar. I’d love to be called that. Here’s the thing…Powell is paying his dues right now. Reynolds did his time on the rom-com set. I suspect that Powell will be the new RR when he’s ready to pass the torch. Powell is just too Reynoldsy to not be the guy. It’s kismet.

It needed to be said

As charming as Powell is in Anyone But You, I have to go on the record as saying that I believe Sydney Sweeney could be the worst actress since Kristen Stewart. I know that this is a really small sample size and I’m willing to be proven wrong. But from what I saw, she was cast because of her physical attributes (which are considerable) and those alone. But her acting…? Just. Really. Awful. I don’t like saying that one bit. But I said what I said.

Anyone But You

Bonus

Overlooking that, there were enough predictable chuckles and individual character charm to keep me from having a mid-movie ‘nappetizer’ (Mrs. AD’s jibe). Of particular note were Joe Davidson (the aforementioned Hemsworth clone) and GaTa (never heard of him but okay). Each of them had their moments so I’m giving them a marginal thumbs up. They did the best they could with a sophmoric script. Joe Davidson’s beach shower scene where he rattled off an impressive list of Aussie slang for…uh, his manpride…was much fun. And informative.

Because and in spite of all, I’m giving Anyone But You – the most generic rom-com title ever schlepped out of Hollywood – a 3.2 out of 5. It’s a perfectly suitable lean month watch. Go forth, Glen Powell, and do great things. And in case you might wonder if The Average Dude has a bias against rom-coms in general? I do have a favorite. Worth Winning, circa 1989 starring Mark Harmon is a great watch that totally holds up. Just remember, there was a time before cell phones when camcorders were a thing. Enjoy!

Just coolWorth Winning

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