‘Arranged’ marriage takes center stage in What’s Love Got To Do With It, an unconventional rom-com that tries to both adhere to the traditions of the genre and subvert it, to mixed results and unsettling conclusions.
British Documentarian Zoe (Lily James) is figuring herself out and figuring out what the subject of her next documentary will be when she learns that her good friend Kazim (Shazad Latif) decides to have an assisted marriage set up by his Pakistani parents.
Thinking it makes for an interesting perspective on love in modern Britain, Zoe decides to film Kazim’s journey, even as her own personal views on the decision aren’t necessarily in line with his. This threatens their friendship and its outcomes and what ends up unfolding is a story about the complexities of love, family, friendship, religion, and the values of family members.
Latif does what he can with the script, though lacks the likeability of James’s in his characterization, which really lets down their chemistry and romance. Zoe’s mother Cath (Emma Thompson) acts as comic relief, with a lack of boundaries and political correctness, that feels refreshing and unnecessary.
This is a rare film that tries to balance how Western romantic marriages and Eastern-assisted marriages are both valid expressions of long-lasting relationships, but cultural sensitivity and awareness fall by the wayside by the film’s conclusion. For such an in depth concept, it’s hardly covered and ultimately makes a judgment call without doing the necessary work of portraying these points of view.
Director Shekhar Kapur and screenwriter Jemima Khan try to explore these differing opinions but ultimately feels underbaked and leave few surprises in how it turns out. It is sweet at times but sadly feels like it will be forgotten soon.
Eden Caceda 