The Idea of You
**Seen at the 2024 Atlanta Film Festival.
Over the past few months, I’ve seen a lot on online shaming of people that has- honestly- troubled me about the way we interact with others online. In the third act of Michael Showalter’s “The Idea of You,” we see the human cost because people simply cannot accept the ways other people live their lives. The way this film sticks the landing with this thematic thread makes sense, but it also makes it feel like the people causing the shame are right. It’s a painful lesson for Solène (Anne Hathaway), but it also leads to the understanding that her life in this moment is not just about her, and her choices impact others whom are important to her, as well.
Adapted from the novel by Robinne Lee, “The Idea of You” takes an offbeat turn in how it forms a romantic comedy premise into a drama about a woman taking a chance on a romance with a younger man, and what that means. Last year we saw Todd Haynes’s “May December” that worked with a similar premise, but the difference here is Solène is only 16 years older than Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine), the boy band singer she meets at Coachella, and he is 24-years-old. These are two, consenting adults whom make a choice as Hayes ingratiates himself more into Solène’s life, and it’s a choice she decides is good for herself, as well. A lot of people see such an age gap as inappropriate, and a sign of grooming, but when it involves consenting adults, there’s something to be said for allowing people to live their lives. When one of the adults is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, however, having one’s life turned upside down is inevitable, sadly.
Solène is only at Coachella because her ex-husband, Daniel (Reid Scott), had a business trip, and so Solène is the one taking their daughter, Izzy (Ella Rubin), and her friends to the event. And it’s only because of a mistake in trying to find the bathroom that Solène meets Hayes. Right away, however, there is something there, but Solène is not quite sure how to handle it. The work by Hathaway in how she dives into the script by Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt is thoughtful and honest, and reminds us of why she has been such a charming presence onscreen over the years. Her work with Galitzine is strong, and their chemistry is genuine; we see how this is more about passion for both people, and they let their guard down with one another. And as Hayes, Galitzine is terrific, playing the role with someone whose had a long time to think about his place in the industry, and wants more, but it also cautious to let people in. These are good people in this movie, and that matters when the shit hits the fan in the third act.
I’m not sure if all of Showalter’s tonal choices work- the film is too serious to be a rom com and too funny to be a dramatic love story, and it doesn’t always nail the blend of the two- but I really responded to its central romance, the performances, and the ways it shows a person in their 40s whom has felt lost in life, finds something unique and rewarding, and then has outside pressures forcing her to reflect on her happiness. As a 40-something whose life didn’t really seem to click until their 30s, I can relate, and for that reason, “The Idea of You” may not always work as a whole, but it really worked for me.
