So yesterday was Valentin’s Day and so I headed over to Cineworld in Llandudno for a date with Cineworld for the Unlimited Screening of the new cross-cultural British rom-com What’s Love Got To Do With It?
How do you find lasting love in today’s world? For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James), swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath’s (Emma Thompson) dismay. For Zoe’s childhood friend and neighbour Kaz (Shazad Latif), the answer is to follow his parents’ example and opt for an arranged (or “assisted”) marriage to a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his hopeful journey from London to Lahore to marry a stranger, chosen by his parents, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.
I have to admit that rom-coms aren’t usually my thing but after posting the news about the movie in September last year and that the movie featured Emma Thompson, it was a movie that I was really looking forward to seeing What’s Love Got To Do With it?, thanks to Cineworld and their ever-growing list of Unlimited Screenings it was a chance to give it a preview.
With any movie of this genre, you can usually expect those really soppy moments, but thankfully those aren’t that over the top in this movie, the story is somewhat of a simple one, rather than boy meets girl and falls in love, it is more boys parents finds the girl and then sets up the marriage of the couple in a hope that love will find its way into their marriage.
As Zoe starts making a documentary about Kaz’s journey to his arranged marriage, she tries to find love in her own life but she can never seem to find the right man, but her mother who is brilliantly played by Emma Thompson has other ideas and she also tries to fix Zoe up with the man of her dreams.
The documentary that Zoe is making moves along and you just know where it is going as she follows Kaz through his ups and downs and she sees things that show that maybe this arranged marriage that the parents have organised may not be the right thing for Kaz, but being a good friend she tries not to spoil everything for him.
I really enjoyed What’s Love Got To Do With It? there are some great one-liners from Emma Thompson that really made me laugh and the movie does have that feel-good feeling that will lift your spirits with the comedy and the romance.
My only real niggle with the movie is that we don’t get subtitles when some of the characters aren’t talking in English, in the trailer you will notice that there is a certain scene where Kaz’s Nan speaks and there are subtitles, this is not the case in the theatrical release and I feel we are missing out on some of the conversations and comedy from some of the characters.
I really enjoyed the music during the movie which is from Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award-winning and Mercury Prize nominated composer, Nitin Sawhney CBE, with British-Pakistani record producer, DJ, songwriter, and musician Naughty Boy bringing his production and writing skills to the soundtrack, alongside three-time BRIT Award and Mercury Prize nominee, Joy Crookes. Kanika Kapoor and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will also feature on the soundtrack, with Rahat appearing in the film itself.
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? is set to be released in UK cinemas on February 24th 2023.
A delightful Rom-Com with Emma Thompson
Movie title: What's Love Got To Do With It? (2022)
Movie description: A cross-cultural romantic comedy.
Date published: February 15, 2023
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 48m
Director(s): Shekhar Kapur
Actor(s): Lily James, Emma Thompson, Shazad Latif
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Summary
Not usually one for the rom-com genre, but What’s Love Got To Do With It? was not only fun, but I also found myself enjoying the romance watching a romantic movie on my own on Valentine’s Day!
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
