To All The Boys I've Loved Before Review - Beauty, Inside Out.

The good folks at Netflix seem to have cracked it. They seem to have a knack (or least their writers do) for taking run-of-the-mill scripts and injecting them with what I now call the ‘Netflix Factor’. It’s the thing that only Netflix can bring to it. It stood strong with The Kissing Booth, which was still rather run-of-the-mill, but really came to show with Set It Up, a charming love story between two unassuming, overworked assistants. If anything, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, builds on that same idea - having an overdose of the Netflix factor.

It stars Lana Condor, as Lara Jean or LJ as her friends call her. LJ is introverted, but still human. So when she crushes, but instead of confessing her love, she writes unsent letters to all these boys, which have accumulated over the years - in a nice, little blue box. Throw in a well-intentioned but misguided little sister and these letters are out. How the doe-eyed Lara Jean handles it, forms the main chunk of the film.

Now, don’t get me wrong. To All The Boys is nothing like Bridget Jones’ Diary - a sweet, classic entertainer. Instead, it skims upon the surface of what truly makes us shy, as individuals, and we learn through Condor and her doe-eyed innocence. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is adapted from the novel of the same name by Jenny Han. Director Susan Johnson never builds on Han’s plot points - which is why parts of the film seem meticulously crafted to seem cliched.

So, of course, the introvert would much rather sit home and watch Golden Girls reruns. But Susan, aided by a smart and taut script by Sofia Alvarez, that never drags, peels and reveals a layer to these cliches. That’s why the film on surface level, is wholly superficial, but upon digging, it becomes more and more satiable. And it helps that the two leads - Lana Condor (a Chinese-American playing a Korean-American, because clearly they’re all the same!) and Noah Centineo ground it.

They effervescently fuse the new age digitalisation of social media and profile pictures with old world charm. So, even as make out videos go viral, each frame, almost ‘awkwardly’ shot by Michael Fimognari, so as to imbue the camera with its main character’s feelings, caresses each person inhabiting the frame - showing the attention to detail. The best in all of this Janel Parrish, who has a shorter appearance, as Lara’s older and over-protective sister, Margot.

The chemistry between Parrish (an alum of Pretty Little Liars) and Condor make you feel the rootedness of these sisters and even Anna Cathcart, playing their youngest sister, Kitty, gets a few throwaway lines, especially when she ribs with Peter (Centineo). Now, the plot of ‘fake dating’, isn’t new at all, but it’s Centineo’s old world charm and his caring nature that instantly make you fall for him.

The actors and their director enshroud the world they’ve created, coating it with a sugary goodness, so as to not let any of the light escape. That’s why its conflicts are resolved easily, especially a half-baked climactic conflict involving mixed feelings. But, if like me, you’re a sucker for a good romance, that shies away from cynicism or any of those ugly things the world is grappling with, it’s sometimes good (and always healthy) to detach and enter this utopian world, where the worst thing that could happen is a gorgeous and charming boy could fall in love with you.

Of course, To All The Boys isn’t without flaw. Madeleine Arthur as ‘Chris’ is under-used, and her ‘I’ll be in the nurse’s office with a migraine, googling Justin Trudeau shirtless’ is truly inspired. Emilija Baranac as Gen, a villainous shrewd, is the persons that attempts to block out the sun from this candy-world, but because her character arc is cliched and sporadic, she has little to no impact on this film.

But that doesn’t matter. Because To All The Boys is an inspired attempt, working to re-work the old school fake dating trope. You know he’s going to fall in love with her. We all do. I’m going with 4 stars.