In William Bridges's "All of You," love delves into the realm of science. All you have to do is go to the Soul Connex company and take a test—no, the Test—to find your soulmate, your better half, your partner in crime. Laura (Imogen Poots) is one of those people who takes the Test and meets Lukas (Steven Cree), who, if science is right, should be the love of her life. But it doesn't take a genius to realize that Laura's soulmate should be Simon (Brett Goldstein), her best friend, who constantly gives her puppy dog eyes. And anyway, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that Laura and Lukas aren't exactly made in heaven.
Well, I guess he's happy to be with her, but she's not too thrilled. Near the beginning of the film, Laura calls Lukas "square," and when she talks about him, you feel as if she's forcing herself to love her future husband. The science, unfortunately, isn't right. So why does Laura start a relationship with Lukas? Why does she end up marrying him and having a child with him? And if the Test can be wrong about Laura's ideal partner, then there must be other dissatisfied customers, right? Has anyone openly criticized this scientific method?
Director: William Bridges
Writers: Brett Goldstein, William Bridges
Stars: Brett Goldstein, Imogen Poots, Jenna Coleman
Are there articles or reviews on social media? Have couples appeared on news channels to talk about the Test's drawbacks? How exactly does it work? What is the actual process implemented to find the ideal partner? Even a mediocre film like Param Sundari had a similar concept, but at least it made an effort to explain how its Tinder-like app works. All of You, on the other hand, is simply too self-indulgent with its concept.
That self-indulgence saps the film's interest. Bridges and his co-writer Goldstein trap their characters in a hermetic world, where only plot details can inspire them. Those details, unfortunately, are also scarce. For example, it's mentioned that Laura and Simon went to college together, but the name of the college isn't mentioned. We learn that Simon is a journalist, but where? What journalism has he done? What does he write or cover? In one scene, he says that, instead of him, another new guy got the promotion. Is his workplace toxic, or is this new guy actually good at what he does? In addition to Simon, Laura is often seen chatting with Andrea (Zawe Ashton); however, these conversations don't extend beyond the narrow scope of the drama unfolding around them.
When Andrea says she was inspired by Laura and took the exam, we're supposed to recognize the facade Laura has built around her marriage. But that's something we grasp very early in the film: the point is too obvious. All of You moves like Lone Scherfig's One Day (just take away the dates). We see how Laura and Simon meet during specific events (a wedding, a funeral, a double date), and what happens between scenes is filled with expository exchanges (Simon, for example, reveals how he tried to connect with his father). However, Bridges's real interest lies in bringing tears to the audience's eyes. He has created a tear-jerker about unfulfilled love, unexpressed feelings, missed romantic opportunities, and not saying the right thing at the right time.
Because the characters are shallow and their words are limited by the confines of the script, we don't feel overly invested in their situation. At best, they seem like a warning to never trust algorithms for something as warm and heartwarming as romance (The Test can be seen as analogous to an arranged marriage, or any framework in which couples are expected to commit without a prior emotional or interpersonal commitment). Bridges, however, isn't concerned with educating the audience. The atmosphere it creates is that of a tragic story, and this sad tone tries hard to present itself as a "heartwarming romance."
The result is a lot like watching Céline Song's Past Lives: an undercooked story that relies on our inner romanticism to fill in the gaps, to search for meaning in small gestures and fixed glances. Both Poots and Goldstein are fine, but the camera doesn't capture two characters; it watches two actors doing "actor things" with their eyes, lips, and hands. Ultimately, there's nothing sentimental about "All of You": it's barely touching, barely passionate. It seems like the idea of a film still searching for ardor, an inner life, texture, a kindred spirit.
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