‘Falling Inn
love’ is a run of the mill and predictable romcom that is light hearted and fun
to watch. The first thing that I remembered was Elvis’ song which has lyrics
similar to the movie’s title. It has a deep message with respect to fixing
things that are broken and like the song the film subtly shows us that some
things are meant to be. The script by Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galano isn't
remarkable but can work as a good one time watch for the characters come across
exactly as one usually expects from films of this genre.
Directed by
Roger Kumble this film stars Christina Milian as Gabriela an executive in San
Francisco who routinely describes her life as one spent running like a hamster
in the corporate wheel. Right from the first shot she is shown as someone who
adores journeying through the countryside as she elects to have her virtual
reality goggles show her as though she is cycling through the countryside
whilst she pedals furiously in her living room.
Her personal
and professional life unravel within the space of a few hours. Real life would
usually have a person hit rock bottom only to realise that it wasn’t actually
rock bottom, but that would defeat the point of this rom-com. Gabriella decides
to enter an online contest called win an inn and based on the title of the film
it’s all but obvious what the outcome of the contest is going to be. Or else
what's the point of the movie?
The only
catch is that she has to fly halfway across the world. However once she reaches
New Zealand she learns that everything isn't as it seems and sets out to
realise her dream and hopefully find herself in the fictional town of Beachwood
Downs with the help of its residents( who say that everyone's business is their
business). It’s amusing to see who strangers to a town are portrayed in
different genres. Aren’t we all raised to be suspicious of a new person no
matter who they are?
One resident
in particular is Jack (Adam Demos), who is the first person she meets when he
crashes his pickup truck into her suitcase. He is the contractor of the town.
We learn that he has built a wall and locked himself from the world due to a
deep personal loss, and it is to be expected that this complete stranger would
somehow unlock this man from his fortress of solitude (I can totally see him as
Superman in the blue bodysuit and red cape)
Based on
rom-com formulas we know that he's the guy. Later on when the two repeatedly
meet there is the aversion and the kiddish hiding from and trying to avoid the
other. The ups and downs are like a regular rom com film however at times I did
get a bit confounded as to why the happy ending isn't coming yet. There is just
that one more level of disappointment we are made to encounter before that
happy ending which happens not just to the 2 leads but one other important
character too.
The script
by though predictable successfully takes us on a journey and pieces together
the 2 leads' thoughts and backstories which leads us to actually buy into the
fact that this could be a happily ever after we can invest in. I found the
‘Crocodile Dundee’ reference quite hilarious for I haven't seen those 2
countries being mixed up in that manner. And it's something I'm so used to
hearing with respect to ignorant individuals claiming that east Asians are the
same when actually they are poles apart.
Christina
Millian’s Gabriella is what most of us are. Frustrated run of the mill
corporate employees who would gladly describe their lives as ‘soulless.’ We can
relate to her and invest in her character as let’s face it, we all dream of
going out there to the countryside and starting something of our own, or just
taking a sabbatical and discovering ourselves. Her dialogues such as , We have
off days, but just don’t take them”, and, “struck a chord with me.” She has an
urge to be modern and wants to replace the old things such as the fireplace and
a faucet. Her character is a polar opposite to
Adam Demos. As Jack he gave me Chris Hemsworth Thor vibes and wants to
retain the past. He lives a country life that others dream off. In addition to
being a corporator he is a beekeeper and even a volunteer firefighter.
But the star
of the film for me for Gilbert the goat. Initially Gabriella says, "I
don't like this goat", but the audience would surely have loved him and he
could perhaps become a meme if this film is seen by many. Gilbert’s timing is
amazing and you don’t even fault him when he punctuates a crucial moment in
this film. You just can’t help but smile when Gilbert’s around.
Falling Inn
Love is a fun 98 minute watch for those who just want a couple hours of leisure
and light hearted entertainment. The shots of the beautiful New Zealand
landscape lend weight to the leads love of the countryside and at times it may
seem like a New Zealand tourism advertisement (I certainly added New Zealand to
a bucket list of countries I’d like to visit someday). These beautiful shots
help us understand the mood of the characters and also the magnet which is
attracting Gabriella to remain where she is. The story could even present us
that fantasy for a fleeting second (till we learn that the only place we can
visit are our desks and our homes) and act as a clarion call to ditch your
soulless lives and head to an exotic location to finally realise that dream of
running your own business.
