It has been quite some time since we saw Jennifer Lopez at her most carefree and fun-loving on screen. Make no mistake: she deploys her full, signature arsenal in this lively workplace comedy, co-written by her co-star Brett Goldstein. Lopez commands the screen, blending her trademark confidence and style with an impressive collection of sky-high Louboutin heels.
She brings a touch of street smarts to her character—a highly successful, top-tier executive. Yet, thanks to a grown-up script packed with witty repartee—penned by Goldstein and his fellow *Ted Lasso* creator Joe Kelly—the actress gets to show off a rare side of absurd, lighthearted humor as her character’s attraction to a strait-laced British colleague grows.
Director: Ol Parker
Writers: Brett Goldstein, Joe Kelly
Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Betty Gilpin
The stars align when Daniel is assigned to represent Jackie in a case against an elusive competitor. Until then, the two had maintained a professional, guarded demeanor at work; Daniel—uncomfortable with American workplace culture and its penchant for small talk—even adopts a clipped, dry British accent (a radical shift from the grunts and profanity of his *Ted Lasso* character, Roy Kent). Much to the dismay of Sydney—Jackie’s right-hand woman and confidante, played by a scene-stealing, laugh-out-loud Betty Gilpin (an actress who ought to be headlining comedies immediately)—the pair inevitably fall into a steamy, forbidden romance. This leads to elevator encounters, tropical trysts, and the revelation of a peculiar sexual fantasy that fuels one of the film’s funniest moments.
The movie shines brightest during these moments of eccentricity. Goldstein delivers a monologue, unleashing a string of expletives with the precision of an artist, while a joke from Lopez about wayward bodily fluids sparks uproarious laughter. However, the romantic elements don't quite measure up to the comedy. The dynamic between the pair is intentional: Goldstein, relatively new to the genre, wrote the role of Jackie with Lopez—a romantic comedy veteran—in mind.
The trope of the radiant, self-assured American woman showing up her somewhat clumsy British counterpart is a classic, yet reality and fiction sometimes blur, and Lopez’s overwhelming charm seems to throw her co-star off balance. The story also occasionally suffers from conventionality; certain third-act twists feel rushed and lack the necessary tension. However, these minor quibbles are not what will linger after the end credits roll. *Office Romance* delivers big, zany gags, courtesy of a cast of endearing, eccentric professionals. Long live the madcap Lopez!
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