Title: Getting to Know You
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: Joan Carr-Wiggin
Starring: Natasha Little, Rupert Penry-Jones, Rachel Blanchard
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

What It Is: A man and a woman have a chance to meet at a small hotel in a town where everyone knows each other. The man, Luck (Penry-Jones), is returning from an exasperated attempt at wooing his high-school sweetheart at their reunion only to find out that she’s married with kids. The woman, Abby (Little), is visiting for her lonely brother’s funeral. When Luck becomes overwhelmed by his drunken ex-girlfriend Kayla (Blanchard), Abby is there to lend help in order to get him out of the awkward situation, and a relationship between them forms.

What We Think: Despite an opening with some unflattering fonts (yes, of course, I’m still gonna be tough on the fonts, I’m thorough), the rest of the presentation of the film was actually really nicely executed. It was a soft, comforting space in which we get to see our leads and range of supporting characters reflect upon their circumstances. The filmmaking felt familiar to theatre-to-film-adaptation in which the action and conversation tend to be emphasized while the mise-en-scene is more low-key, which is a style I frequently enjoy watching as it is quite pleasant and can lead to showcase some nice performances. In this case, the chemistry and heart that Little and Penry-Jones deliver are lovely and believable, lulling you into a perfect space to want to see them grow closer together and see the romance between them bloom.

Our Grade: B-, The likable, relatable characters who wear their hearts on their sleeves make this an easy rom-com to settle into. I honestly wanted to see the best for them and found myself being roped into the romance of it all. The movie loses quite a bit of steam in the third act, but then again I don’t really hold it against the story because it aims to be more realistic about its protagonists’ complex situations, being middle-aged, having families, or coming from different countries. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for something that will set off a lovey-dovey mood without crossing the line to a senseless, saccharine purgatory that many films of this type tend to do, Getting to Know You might just be the perfect pick for the night.