One Night Only

What does one do when there is a nationwide chastity law and you have only one night to hook up to relieve your built up sexual tension? Rush to hook up! That’s the basic synopsis of Will Gluck’s latest rom-com. Allie (Monica Barbaro) finds the ideology of this night ridiculous to a point she agrees to meet up with a friend to spend it with. Her friend bails on her and her quest for “love” begins. Owen (Callum Turner) a pizza shop owner receives some horrible news leaving him to spend the night alone. Instead of wallowing in sorrow he explores the city. In traditional rom-com troupe, both Allie and Owen’s path intertwine through a series of serendipitous events.

Delicious moments

I was a huge fan of rom-coms at one point, but somewhere after 2010, they lost their appeal. Sure, they’re cheesy and I enjoy that about them. However, I wasn’t connecting with them as much as I once did. Until this film. The fact it opens up introducing the reason for “one night only” of legal coitus parallels much with the political rhetoric of our country today. Then, this couple who interact differently than the expectation in a search for a deeper connection felt like swallowing the first bite of your favorite pizza. The ooey-gooey cheese sliding down your throat, warming your heart like a childhood memory. Barbaro and Turner have that Ryan and Hanks chemistry on film. It reminded me much of Sleepless in Seattle or You’ve got Mail. You know the protagonist will hook up and when the moment hits, you’re satisfied. Fortunately, a couple of plot-twists pop up at the right moment for a laugh. I also enjoyed the added tension of the countdown to the end of the day. You root for them to make it in time. 24-hours is all they have to hook up.

Slightly Charred

The unexpected incidents make the plot unbelievable at moments. Some events added to the film had to be when the writers thought, “what wacky, completely unbelievable event could we add here to make the film stretch a little longer?” But then again, it would not be a rom-com if it didn’t happen, right? It’s these little small moments writers use to develop the romance between two characters. Whether or not we believe it? That’s up to us, the audience. It’s like, adding pirates in the film Six Days and Seven Night. “Stranded on an island, what can we add to complicate the situation a little more? Add pirates!” Though, pirates do not appear in the film, many scene matching this plot complication do. Will you laugh? Depends on your humor. I found it funny, but not believable. These outlandish moments pull the characters closer and a true romantic troupe.

Pizza Rating

Overall, the film worked for me. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I really love the chemistry of Turner and Barbaro. I enjoyed the wacky situations that followed them and the creativeness of the writers to add more ridiculous moments throughout. Using the countdown for the tension definitely worked and paralleling it with our current political climate…spot on for the time. This film may not stand the test of time, but it works perfectly for a history time marker. Congress passing an asinine law for the wrong reason as a means to force people to follow one cultural guideline, or belief. Sprinkle in some ridiculous rationale for the law and you have the Chasity Law. Each character suffers from personal complexities, which brought them closer together. I think there are some scenes that should have been cut because they really didn’t add to the film, however I definitely loved the ending. If you plan to watch it, share your thoughts in the comments below.