A new romantic comedy hits Netflix in director Mark Steven Johnson’s Love, Guaranteed. The majority of gold-hearted lawyer Susan (Rachel Leigh Cook) involves pro-bono work. After a chance meeting with an endearing physical therapist Nick (Damon Wayans Jr.), Susan learns that Nick wants to hire her law firm. He wants to sue the dating app service, “Love Guaranteed.”
Nick had done his due diligence and discovered in the print of the company’s contract if you don’t find love by your 1,000th date, you can get your money. As fate would have it, Nick has gone on 986 dates and has yet to find love. Initially, Susan is skeptical of Nick’s case. She thinks he’s only looking for a quick payday, but as she gets to know Nick, she realizes he may have a point after all. Naturally, as the case progresses along, so do Susan and Nick’s feelings.
Online dating has come a long way since the emergence of Al Gore’s internet. I met my spouse on Match.com and have always recommended online dating to my buddies, who are unsuccessful in love. In the year 2020, all folks have to download an app, and they can find a potential suitor. Given the premise alone, Love, Guaranteed could have quickly gone the route of weird dates and gross-out gags for cheap laughs. The film’s writers Elizabeth Hackett & Hilary Galanoy avoid this trope and give us a harmless romantic comedy with a clever homage to a classic nineties sitcom.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the script is the characterization of Nick. Elizabeth Hackett & Hilary Galanoy never paint the character as a Lothario in search of one night stands. On the contrary, Nick is just a nice guy who suffered a previous heartbreak and is hesitant in the world of love. I also commend the writers for giving the dates who didn’t work out a viewpoint as well. The angle they take with why Nick hasn’t found love yet is believable and solidifies the old adage somethings aren’t meant to be.
Rachel Leigh Cook is as enjoyable as our female lead, Susan. She displays the usual girl next door trait from her nineties films. Damon Wayans Jr. also continues to impress with his acting talent and natural charisma. The two have a great chemistry, and one of their best scenes involves them just walking and talking. Instead of using sex or physical attraction, the writers show Susan and Nick just naturally getting to know each other, which I loved. The rest of the supporting cast is decent with what they are given. However, Heather Graham’s CEO character for Love Guaranteed was a bit underwritten. The actress appears to be portraying a Meta version of herself.
Mark Steven Johnson’s direction is standard, and he keeps the running time to a quick ninety-five minutes. It’s apparent the director has a love of the genre, but he knows what fans of rom coms want to see, and he delivers. Love, Guaranteed doesn’t add anything new to the rom-com film genre.
However, it does highlight the successes, failures, and headaches that come with online dating. While the film is predictable, our leads’ chemistry makes the film worth viewing at least once. Besides, if any film that utilizes Tiffany’s eighties staple “I Think We’re Alone Now” is a winner in my book.
Final Grade : B
Love, Guaranteed is available to stream at www.netflix.com/LoveGuaranteed
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