In Meet Cute in Manhattan, actor Jason (Terence Chen) finds himself in the middle of his own meet cute – when a run-in with an aspiring architect Nora (Kendall Leary) affords an opportunity to audition as a couple in love for a dating app commercial. As the whirlwind of their on screen chemistry goes viral, they are unexpectedly swept into forming a deeper connection, and maybe a happily ever after just like the one they are pretending to share.
Fate, and the idea of it, is very much at the heart of their first encounter – what is coincidental, what is destiny, what is making imagination or one's biggest dreams come true. Their meet cute seems purely coincidental but brings a unique magic that changes everything where they have to decide what they truly want in life. Their inexplicable run-in leads Jason and Nora to pursue what they want in their romantic relationships but also their careers and lifestyles.
It's very clear from the direction by Karen Morey, and co-written between Morey and Chen, they deeply respect this ever-burgeoning and underrated genre, and want to play clear homage to it. The script and production pays diligent attention to the recipe that makes a heartwarming rom-com – charming leads with strong chemistry; beautiful cinematography, New York City as its iconic backdrop. But the film never looses sight of the carefree joy that great romantic flicks share. As every ad and “off-screen” moment brings the couple closer together, their relationship plays out lovingly both on the screen for social media, and on the screen for audiences watching the movie. There's no denying that Jason and Nora share great on screen chemistry as their various ads grow in popularity, and that's what gives them the edge to reenact iconic scenes allowing easter eggs galore that immerses you into what you love about the genre.
What does offset the momentum of Jason and Nora's love story, however, is the major subplot where their relationship from meet cute to happily ever after is also part of a movie pitch – one Jason is sharing with executive studio producers. The film shifts back and forth between their timeline throughout the boardroom pitch to comment on the character development and genre formula. Each pitch serves as way for the potential movie about their meet cute to play out between a personalized account of it and reality. Unfortunately, having both sides of the relationship leaves some scenes disjointed. If the script didn't have enough conflict to plum through such as Jason trying to break out of commercial acting and the breakdown with his social media influencer girlfriend (Amanda Shi) or if Nora questioning her corporate lifestyle alongside her boyfriend (Martin K Lewis), the movie-within-a-movie subplot would suffice. Even though the movie pitch acts as a necessary critique of a lack of diversity represented on screen, its themes and messages could come across much stronger without the extra layer of self-awareness.
Despite the plot biting off a little more than it can chew, Meet Cute In Manhattan is an admirable and enjoyable watch, offering plenty of heartfelt moments to make it worthwhile. Morey's film is a steady and sweet directorial debut and homage that serves as a wonderful reminder of why we keep coming back to the beloved genre.
Rating: ★★★1/2☆ ☆
Note: I was provided with a screener to provide this review. All opinions are my own.
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