The Idea of You

The Idea of You tells the story of a romance between a 40-year old art gallery owner and a 24-year old pop singer starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine and directed by Michael Showalter. The film is based on a book that I have yet not read where apparently the age gap was bigger.  

Showalter has a comic background but the only other film of his that I watched most was his honest adaptation of Kumail Nanjiani’s true story The Big Sick, about the early days of Najiani’s relationship with his wife.  The film had a lot of comedic moments but was touching.  The Idea of You is a much bigger production with numerous concert scenes and it captures a sense of the crazed public life of a popular young singer.

Spoilers below:

I first saw the film when it was released on Prime Video and four things about it stuck out to me.  First, Solene (Hathaway) does not recognize Hayes (Galitzine) because her daughter had been the fan, not she.   Solene speaks to Hayes him normally which captures his attention since he is used to young women fawning over him.  There is a moment where Hayes comes into Solene’s art gallery and to impress her buys every piece but she is cautious because she takes her love for for art seriously.  Hayes recognizes that his usual charms are not going to work on this woman who is impressed with his talent but not with his fame.   

Secondly the age gap, while notable, would not be a real factor if the genders were reversed.  Leonardo DiCaprio (age 51) and Sean Penn (age 65) both have intense love scenes with Teonna Taylor (age 35) in One Battle After Another and the age gap is never addressed and that is but one example out of many.  Throughout the film Hayes often acts gentlemanly.  For example Hayes and takes steps to make sure Solene is comfortable even when she decides to leave his tour.  Hathaway turned 40 during filming (as Solene does in the film) but looks at least five years younger with her still fantastic physique and good skin.  Galitzine is only 12 years younger than Hathaway but some efforts are made in the film to make him look younger (his hair is a little spiky and he wears a lot of t-shirts)..

Thirdly there is a theme on life imitating art when the film focuses on the public’s reaction to Solene dating Hayes by showing cruel internet memes mostly attacking Solene for daring to date someone outside of her age range which brings a whole new element to the situation.  Hathaway herself suffered similar attacks after she won an Oscar in 2013 for Les Miserables.  Hathaway gave a moving performance as Fantine in Les Miserables, highlighted by a single take live of “I Dreamed a Dream” in which she went through several emotional registers.  Earlier in 2012 Hathaway gave by far the most memorable performance among a strong cast in The Dark Knight Rises.  Perhaps people resented her success.  To Hathaway’s credit she just kept on working but this film shows the high price people pay for fame (and for being associated with it).

I first saw Hathaway in The Princess Diaries which was directed by Garry Marshall, who also directed Pretty Woman.  Marshall had helped make her a star by putting her through a montage to make her look like an elegant princess which was similar to the one Julia Roberts had gone through in the Beverly Hills shop run by Larry Miller in Pretty Woman.  Hathaway reminded me a little of Roberts with her slightly longer face and her height and they both have high wattage smiles which look great on camera.  I think Hathaway has more craft and is better able to  disappear into roles than Roberts who is a bigger star and operates more from pure emotion.  Both actresses appeared the Marshall’s film Valentine’s Day but had no senes together.  Roberts played a solider who is traveling home and has a touching scene near the end of the film while Hathaway played a more comic role as a receptionist who moonlights as a phone sex operator.  

Lastly, while the film has a reputation for steamy scenes it is not for graphic sexual acts.  There is one scene where the characters first hook up set in New York but it is mostly suggested and Showalter cuts away just as they are about to get into it.  The steaminess comes from the post (or in between) coital scenes where they tease and hold each other and are partially dressed but seem completely comfortable.  The characters also kiss a lot and there is a strong sense that Solene has never been this passionate with anyone but is, after being single since getting divorced, finally coming into her own.

Hathaway’s performance as always is very strong.  Solene was wounded when her ex-husband, played by Reid Scott who I’ve seen in Veep, cheated on her and left her for another woman some years before.  Solene has rebuilt her life and is content overall with a successful gallery and a strong relationship with her teenage daughter Izzy, but has stayed away from romance (a funny montage showing her potential choices makes clear why she’s better off single).  Solene is a little quiet (a lot of Hathaway’s line deliveries are subtle) but also direct.  I noted that Solene’s first reaction to finding out her husband cheated is similar to that of her character in The Intern (to let it go and try to save the marriage).  In the two scenes where she breaks up with Hayes she is first defensive because she has let herself get about as vulnerable as she cared to and says anything she can (including blaming Hayes for her ex’s behavior) to get him to lose interest in her.  The second time she explains that she loves him but the publicity of her relationship is too hard on her daughter.  Prior to the first breakup Solene clearly felt they were having a fling and was pushing aside deeper feelings.  The second time she is in it all the way.  

Galitzine (who will soon appear in the dual role of Prince Adam and He-Man in The Masters of the Universe) has an easy charisma expected of someone so famous (and he laughs off that Izzy is not a big fan anymore) but is also sensitive. We never see him tempted by other young women.  While he dresses very casually he has better manners than someone who grew up in a broken household might and this is reflected in the scene in which he meets Daniel, Solene’s ex.  Daniel has just been dumped (and probably on some level thought Solene might be waiting for him if he and Eve ever broke up) and has a wounded ego which expresses itself in concern for his daughter (though I believe he is just jealous of his ex-wife dating a hot young man).  Daniel makes a lot of remarks with barely contained aggression and Hayes handles it smoothly as is Daniel were an angry fan.  Scott does a good job playing this narcissistic jerk who engages in big gestures to try to keep people on his side but does little of the hard work of nurturing a relationship. 

Galitzine and the band perform a lot of easily digestible songs.  My favorite is “Closer” which Hayes sings to Solene at the concert soon after they meet.  We do not know if he has spotted Solene or if he is just hoping that she is there but he appears to be singing in her general direction.  Schowalter uses a split screen to keep them onscreen together.  When Hayes finishes the song and waves at Solene we realize he has known where she was all the time.  Hathaway beautifully plays the whole sequence.  Earlier she is singing along with Izzy as August Moon (a band similar to NSYNC though Galizine is a lot friendlier than Justin Timberlake ever comes across) and then is quietly moved and still when she realizes “Closer” is for her.  

Ella Rubin plays the small but key role of Izzy, Solene (and Daniel)‘s daughter who has a strong relationship with her mother but is also a realistic self absorbed teenager.  Solene fiercely protects her daughter throughout the film and Izzy makes a solid attempt to support the relationship when she realizes that her mom is sad without Hayes.  It is also clear, though not emphasized, that Izzy and Hayes get along pretty well.  Rubin captures all the big swings of the teenager believably and it’s fun to watch the relationship between mother and daughter.  Solene knows just when to intervene and when to back off and clearly takes pride in making the right decisions for her daughter.

There are a couple of questionable notes in the story.  Firstly, Solene only tries to chat with the young women accompanying the band when they are staying at the house.  However they have all been traveling together so I find it unlikely they never would have talked until then.  Secondly, Hayes invites Solene on the tour while they are in New York.  Solene lives in California and likely would not have brought her passport since she was planning to head back home.  Lastly, if Hayes wants to have children of his own, especially at the end of the film when he is now 29, it might be a challenge to do so with Solene who is now 45 and might not be able to or even want to since she has already raised a daughter.  The book, if it has the same ending may address this, but the film never does.

The pacing of the film is a little curious.  I sense that Showalter had probably planned for the tour scenes to be done around one hour in but may have discovered the heart of the film lay in the couple falling for each other during the tour and thus included more material there.  Now Solene and Hayes first separate after about an hour and twenty minutes into the film which means the rest of the film happens in a hurry.  Solene and Hayes get back together, go through a loving but intensely scrutinized period, break up again in a long set of scenes, go through a five year break and then find each other again all in about 30 minutes.  

The epilogue of the film is particularly condensed.  Solene is still running her gallery and Hayes has embarked on a solo career (in his interview with Graham Norton they reference him touring but not the group).  Hayes’ voice has dropped a little, his hair is less stylish and he dresses more formally (a sweater in one scene and a sports jackets in another).  Showalter establishes through a video call that Izzy is through college and now living in Chicago.  Solene sees Hayes say he is coming to L.A. to see someone but Hathaway wordlessly communicate that she is afraid to hope it might be for her.  As before Solene is not actively pursuing any romance and stops herself from looking around for him when she gets to work.  However Schowalter stages their reunion thoughtfully, letting emotion take precedence over everything else.  Solene comes out when she hears Hayes come in but Hayes is politely speaking with her employee before asking for her.  By cutting away after they smile at each other we can imagine how the scene will play out and leaves us with the sweet image of Solene’s tearful smile.  After all her sacrifices she can allow herself to be happy.  

The closing song “The Idea of You” plays nicely as the film cuts from the closing credits.  Interestingly it is a duet and I wonder why Hathaway (who is a terrific singer) did not sing the female portion.   

The Idea of You is an entertaining and beautifully acted film with great chemistry between the two leads.  If you watch it you’llbe entertained and hopefully moved (and be humming songs from the film for days afterwards).  ****