“No one’s all right. We just say it.” Mood. We have a bunch of outstanding rom-coms on TV these days, but they almost feel like a lost art with movies. Thankfully, for an hour and forty-ish minutes, we can actually be all right by watching Office Romance. A true rom-com from beginning to end, penned brilliantly by Brett Goldstein and Joe Kelly.
Starring the iconic Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, Edward James Olmos, Tony Hale, and more greats, everything about Office Romance is exactly what you’d expect from a JLo rom-com with British humor hilariously sprinkled in the mix. It’s a story about love and resilience, effectively reminding viewers that a woman can get the guy and the job. It’s hope and joy mixed into a hilarious story that’s thoroughly entertaining.
In truth, office romances can be a little tricky with power imbalances, but none of that is an issue in Office Romance, even while there are rules set against interpersonal relationships. There is no power imbalance, and more importantly, the humor adds tremendous levity to the serious beats.
It’s an incredible choice to have a female CEO in a position of power where she’s constantly having to cover up for the choices that men in her position wouldn’t even flinch at. We only have to look at the state of the world to see the sheer privilege women are robbed of and how they tirelessly have to go out of their way to prove their worth, only for something in their personal lives that isn’t even remotely offensive to raise questions. Yet, that’s why Office Romance works. It recognizes this unfairness and, through a quintessential grand gesture, it gives Lopez’s Jackie Cruz a chance to take back her agency and seize the joy she deserves.
In addition, part of what makes a rom-com work is always the chemistry between our leads. In short, Goldstein and Lopez have it. They’re dynamic, fun, cheeky, and sweet in ways that ensure the relationship between Daniel and Jackie sticks the landing. And here’s the thing, Goldstein isn’t new to romantic comedies with his work in Superbob and his arc in Ted Lasso, so it’s incredible to watch him alongside someone who’s such a legend for the genre.
And sure, we all know Goldstein wrote the role specifically for Lopez to star in (per the many interviews where he’s excitedly mentioned this), but it’s incredible that the chemistry is palpable. Full stop. From the writing to the performances, every moment of the movie feels like the kind of summer bash you want to host movie nights for and rewatch. And that’s exactly how a romantic comedy should be.
We’re living in a really dark world where too many people are embracing AI as opposed to embracing their whimsy, and dare I say, Office Romance embraces the whimsy. It’s daring and hilarious, making it one of the summer films not to be missed. I only wish it were playing in theaters because we all deserve the big screen experience.
Office Romance is now streaming on Netflix.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Netflix