Film Review: 'The Story of Love'

Synopsis:

Ruby Easton (Brittany Bristow) is an aspiring romance novelist eager to launch her career. Woody Locke (Franco Lo Presti) is a mountain inn owner still reeling from a bad breakup. Their lives converge when Ruby's mother enters her into an exclusive writer's retreat helmed by famed writer Marcus Harlow (Gianpaolo Venuta) offering the chance to win a lucrative book deal. While initially put off by the idea, Ruby eventually agrees and heads to Tahoe with her mother Diane (Rosemary Dunsmore). While the outdoors are initially daunting for the city-dwelling Ruby, Woody's there to guide her through it. As the announcement date for the book deal draws closer, Ruby learns a lot more about herself and her passion for writing. She also begins to see that neither Woody nor Marcus were who she thought they were initially. By the end of her stay at the inn, Ruby might just have her own love story to write.

Story:

As someone with a longtime love of writing, the story's emphasis on books and the art of writing was a treat. At the same time, The Story of Love's simple plot could've used a lot more energy than what is has. Most of the action consists of Ruby and Woody bonding over outdoor activities, with both realizing they were unfair to judge each other based on their differing lifestyles. It's cute in parts, but after a while, it takes on a lather-rinse-repeat quality that will have your mind wandering as Ruby and Woody go from one picturesque nature setting to another.

In addition to that, there are a few subplots that should've gotten some more attention. The relationship between Diane and inn co-owner Dean (Neil Crone) feels like it was added at the last second and the sudden friendship between Woody and Marcus's assistant Tim (Alexander Nunez) comes straight out of left field. The latter is all the more noticeable given how integral Woody and Tim's haphazardly-developed bond is to a certain plot point involving Marcus--one which joins the other subplots in being deprived of breathing room. All that said, the finale proves to have a bit of legitimate comedy wedged into the usual romance beats that are capped off with a rather awkwardly shot/acted kiss.

Characters:

With the subplots not being allowed to grow into anything significant, side characters like Diane and Dean are left to languish like poisonous berries. The characters who get hit the worst are Rachel and Fitz, Ruby's book deal competitors as played by Claire Cavalheiro and Ryan Hollyman. While Rachel is a blank slate, Fitz had the potential to have a heartwarming "loosening up" arc, given how he's established early on as a rigid curmudgeon with a soft side waiting to be unveiled. As for the main players, Woody proves to be the more likable of the two leads due to his naturally charming wit. Don't get me wrong, Ruby is sweet enough and has her strong moments, particularly when she's discussing her love for writing. But even for a sheltered city girl, some of her reactions to what she encounters in the wilderness are way too childishly dramatic. It gets to a point where you wonder how she handles life in the city without having constant panic attacks.

SPOILER ALERT Then there's the matter of her third-act falling out with Woody and how it goes completely against the relationship she'd developed with him at that point. After having grown to be confidants, Ruby suddenly goes into a callous "you're just jealous" rant when Woody tries to warn her about Marcus being a fraud. It's also ultimately pointless, seeing as how quickly the conflict gets resolved when Ruby abruptly realizes the truth later on. Spoilers Over Lastly, there's Marcus Harlow, who makes for a believable smarmy celebrity type. You know right from his introduction that he's not worth Ruby's adoration, but you can still see why he'd grow to become such a beloved figure in the literary world.

Acting:

While their characters' chemistry is lukewarm at best thanks to their generic romantic development, Brittany Bristow and Franco Lo Presti work well together. You might not buy them as a romantic pair, but you will buy that Ruby and Woody are bonding throughout the time they spend together. Individually, they're just as good, with Lo Presti having as much charisma here as he had in Christmas Catch. Bristow, meanwhile, soldiers through Ruby's annoying moments (Bristow's eyelids get quite a workout from all the eye widening Ruby does) and comes out having given a relatively likable performance. Rosemary Dunsmore and Neil Crone make as much impact as they can as Diane and Dean while Gianpaolo Venuta effectively sells Marcus Harlow as a revered celebrity capable of keeping his less-than-appealing qualities hidden from the public. Meanwhile, Marcus's quieter assistant Tim is well-played by Alexander Nunez, who will have you feeling for Tim once you learn more about him.

Overall:

It's ironic that a movie all about writing should flop so hard when it comes to story. For all the charm the actors bring to it, the stale storyline told through some equally stale pacing puts a kibosh on how much they can salvage the film. The romance between Ruby and Woody is adorable at times, but it's a familiar tale that's been told better in similar Hallmark-esque productions. It's a shame the subplots don't get the development they needed, as a few of them could've given the story the spark it needed to stand out. As is, The Story of Love is one you might read once before leaving it to collect dust on your bookcase.

Score: 3.5 out of 10 New Yorker whistles.