Et l'amour dans tout ça?

After an uneven, stilted start, WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT settles into an enjoyable rom-com. It follows the story of two childhood friends, now in their thirties, who must decide whether to follow their heads or their hearts when one of them decides to go through with an arranged marriage back home in Pakistan.

The movie has a light-hearted feel and emphasises finding your own identity and truth rather than conforming to external expectations. The characters are well-fleshed out and likable enough to make us cheer them on for their happy ending. The cast delivers a charming and honest performance, while the soundtrack further adds to the movie's light-hearted tone.

Emma Thompson (who plays Cath) shines in her role and provides a strong emotional core to the movie. Lily James (who plays Zoe) also gives us a strong performance and her chemistry with Thompson is palpable. The supporting characters add to the movie's charm, but they don't detract from the main characters' story.

There are three things about WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT that I particularly liked. First, the glimpses into Pakistani culture, which is fascinating and enlightening. Second, the movie doesn't shy away from the tough questions that come with arranged marriage. It confronts them head-on so that we can better understand why such decisions are taken. Lastly, there's an element of feminism in the movie and it highlights how women don't have to live by the rules set for them by society. The feminist elements are, in part, beautifully presented as revisions of fairy tales as Zoe tells stories to the children she sometimes babysits.

WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT is a sweet rom-com with lots of heart and soul. It offers an interesting take on arranged marriage, Pakistani culture, and the choices we make when our heads and hearts are at odds with each other. The movie is full of charm, wit and positive messages that will certainly leave you feeling uplifted.

What's Love Got to Do with It? Doesn't completely commit to its central idea of a more nuanced and balanced exploration of assisted marriages but it remains a really good romantic comedy that has a little more unpredictability than the average rom com and boasts an enjoyably heartwarming story.

Lily James and Shazad Latif are real life, longtime friends and that really comes across in their on screen chemistry which is very palpable. Emma Thompson has way more screen time than expected and is a definite scene stealer with a constant stream of jokes that always land.

Shekhar Kapur's direction is really good, especially with the tone which starts of as something broader in its humour (which works) and then gradually scaling that humour back as it gets surprisingly emotional and sincere by the end.

"What's Love Got to Do with It?" is a Comedy - Romance movie in which we watch an arranged marriage between two individuals from different cultural backgrounds while themes of identity, family, and love are explored.

I enjoyed this movie and I have to admit that it was far better than what I expected. The interpretations of both Lily James who played as Zoe Stevenson and Shazad Latif who played as Kaz Khan were very good and brought an emotional weight to their roles. However, the movie followed a somewhat formulaic path that didn't offer much in terms of surprises. Despite that, the combination of humor and romance was enjoyable. Overall, I have to say that "What's Love Got to Do with It?" is a nice, enjoyable movie and I believe that everyone can watch it.

If you remember "Last Christmas" (2019) then you will have a rough idea of what to expect here with this rather formulaic, if colourful, drama. It all centres around a film being made by "Zoe" (Lily James) about the forthcoming "assisted" marriage of her lifelong friend "Kaz" (Shazad Latif). Her mother "Cath" (Dame Emma Thompson) lives next door to his family and so is relishing the family trip to Pakistan for the traditional wedding. "Zoe" is (as, I suspect, are we) pretty sceptical of the whole arrangement - getting married to someone you've only met on Skype, but proceed we do through a lively ceremony that allows Dame Emma to don her sari and dance for all she is worth (gin-fuelled!) whilst the predictable love triangle melodrama slowly, but predictably, plays out. It all comes to an head when they have returned home and she shows her film to all concerned and, just like this, it receives mixed and divisive reviews. I found this all very twee, middle class and vaguely judgmental which after a while I felt rather defeated the purpose in the first place. It is pretty clear from the start what is going to happen, and although the route to that conclusion isn't exactly a straight line, this leaves very little room for jeopardy to a plot you can see from Mars. Latif has a degree of charm to him, and some of the scenes with Lily James are quite engaging in a cheesy sort of way, but for the most part this is eminently forgettable fayre that will do fine on telly at Christmas.

Totally lacking plot and character development the movie falls flat. Missing are all the usual twists, turns and laughs. There is no build or development of the main characters leaving them as empty and hollow as when they started.

This film makes the first half hour of Moonfall look like a cinematic masterpiece.

Whilst not bad and an easy watch this movie really fails to deliver. Carrying a camera awkwardly from scene to scene does not make our leading lady a documentary superstar.

We are not even given any insight into the two main characters life as children together, or any insight into them liking each other more than friends.

It's like two strangers kissing at the end taking a chance on what love?? Do they even like each other. There was no tension, no chemistry between them.

And what does Emma Thompson contribute? Jumping around each scene in a shrill voice adding nothing to the value of the movie.