'To All The Boys I've Loved' Movie Review

Introduction

Lara Jean finally has a boyfriend. Her life seems perfect; first date, first love, first time for everything. Until she gets a letter from one of her old crushes. Lara doesn't think much of it, but will John Ambrose McClaren reveal the cracks in Lara Jean's perfect world with the perfect guy?

Key themes

Lara Jean and Peter go on their first real date

Lara Jean receives a letter from John Ambrose McClaren and contemplates writing him back

Lara Jean volunteered at the Belville Retirement Villa and met John Ambrose there out of coincidence

Lara and John Ambrose discuss the letter. Peter starts to get concerned about their relationship

John Ambrose and Lara Jean spend a lot of time together. Whilst at their childhood treehouse, Peter, John Ambrose, Lara Jean and Genny (Peter's ex-girlfriend and Lara Jean's ex-best friend) hint their emotions, towards each other, semi-directly

Peter and Lara Jean begin to fight over John Ambrose and Genny

Lara Jean finds out that Peter spoke with Genny in a very close manner and breaks up with Peter

Whilst at the Belville Retirement Villa, Lara Jean and John Ambrose share a kiss. Lara Jean realises that she is no longer in love with John Ambrose, perhaps just the idea of someone loving her

As Lara Jean leaves to go find Peter and rekindle their love, she bumps into him outside the Retirement Villa

Lara Jean and Peter start afresh, with no exes involved

Key observations

• In the first film (To All The Boys I've Loved Before), John Ambrose was white - why the sudden race change? Inconsistencies can link to a lack of professionalism
• Lara Jean's bag fell off twice from her shoulder - this could be a defect in the wardrobe committee, but it added to the comfortableness and naturalness of the scene
• Lara Jean was surprised to receive a letter back from John, however, at the end of the first film (To All The Boys I've Loved Before), John Ambrose visited Lara Jean at her house with flowers and the original letter she sent to him. This is a huge inconsistency in the story
• Why were Peter and Lara Jean walking down the hallway, at the beginning of school, when they have classes, with no books or bags, everyone else was apart from them - why?
• Why didn't the glass bowl, containing the sweets, break when Lara Jean knocked it to the floor?
• Peter was holding his Valentine's gifts from Lara Jean in his hands, he said "one more thing" and suddenly everything he was holding was gone - how? And how did Peter get out the paper from his pocket if his hands were full? (We did not see him hand over anything for Lara Jean to hold for him)
• how were Lara Jean and John Ambrose the only two volunteers for Belville Retirement Villa? It's a very nice villa, surely more would have volunteered, even if they are from different schools from the one John Ambrose and Lara Jean go to
• Did John Ambrose move back? If not, why would he travel all the way back to his old town to volunteer? Surely he couldn't have done it for Lara Jean's sake as they is no way he would have known she would also volunteer at the same place
• Is Dorothy the only staff at Belville? It is a retirement villa, there should be more staff, but we see none other than Dorothy
• How did John Ambrose and Lara Jean get access to the Retirement Villa's basement?
• Lara Jean has never actually been unpopular (she was friends with Genny and John Ambrose in middle school, who were popular. Lara Jean even hung out with Peter in middle school)
• Is the treehouse a popular treehouse? If not, how come only the few of them had access to it/hung out in it? If the treehouse is private property, how were they allowed to go there again after all these years? How were they allowed to dig up their time capsule?
• How was there no one else in that section of the aquarium (only Peter and Lara Jean)?
• Why did Genny respond to Lara Jean's text? Why do they still have each other's numbers?
• How were Lara Jean and John Ambrose able to set up the ball? Who helped them? Who gave them permission? When did they set up the ball?
• John Ambrose's outfit for the ball was very different to the one in the photograph he sent to Lara Jean the night before - why?
• How did Peter know that Lara Jean would be at Belville?
• Did Peter and Lara Jean spend the night together?
• Why were Lara Jean and Kitty so happy for their dad to move on?

Conclusion

It is a love story! You can't hate the producers for making it a cliche. Personally, I do not prefer romance movies, however, I will commend the writers for creating a beautiful story where reality meets fantasy. Lara Jean does hint on the struggles of a relationship and the effect of exes. Although it may not always happen, it is nice to see someone get a happy ending. The film did forget about the Mr Covey's (Lara Jean's father) love story and it appeared very fast-tracked. Was was most shocking was how supportive his children were. They claim to miss their mother, but are extremely happy for their father to move on? At some point John Ambrose became of irrelevance and literally 'popped' up at the end, seemed like a cheap trigger to get the main couple back together. Overall, it was a somewhat fulfilling film. I do wonder though, was is to become of Christine (Lara Jeans's friend) budding relationship with Trevor...

Cast

Lana Condor - Lara Jean

Noah Centineo - Peter

Jordan Fisher - John Ambrose

Emilija Baranac - Genny

Madeleine Arthur - Christine

Ross Butler - Trevor

Holland Taylor - Stormy

Anna Cathcart - Kitty

John Corbett - Dr. Covey