Love accidentally | Film critic
July 14, 2022
accidentally loving is a very modern romantic comedy starring Aaron O’Connell and Brenda Song that plays on the “wrong act” trope. It’s quite like How to lose a guy in 10 days with a little technological touch. Song and O’Connell play two rival co-workers who compete for the same job at their ad agency when their hearts break on the same day. Alexa (Song), wanting to rant about her best friend, accidentally texts Jason (O’Connell), sparking the start of their anonymous friendship. The film takes as its starting point the solace people find in venting on strangers and molds it into something romantic.
Opening with the vibrating sound of the phone and displaying text messages on the screen, accidentally loving sets the stage for its premise early on. As in any romantic film, the characters fall for each other a little too quickly – texting for just a few conversations before feeling invested in a possible romantic relationship. Symmetry is an important visual style, with the image crossing between different conversations between Jason and Alexa and their friends to highlight each other’s initial opinion of the other.
The production frames the two characters side by side to show their parallel thoughts on their interactions. The cinematography also uses symmetry by working the camera angles to make it seem like the two are talking to each other despite only conversing over the phone. These angles also help add to the mystery, tiptoeing around Jason and Alexa’s identities. Quirky, upbeat music accompanies the antics of the visuals, filling the otherwise mundane storyline with a bit of life.
There’s plenty of puns such as “him” and “she” as the film leaves cute little breadcrumbs of Jason and Alexa’s conversations to help the characters piece together the truth behind their text buddy. This might be one of the best parts of the script – even if the bar isn’t set high. The song works well with what it gave but the character of Alexa is not likable at all. She’s bland without development, and her hatred for Jason can seem irrational. The ending is very dull; it’s not so much a resolution as a rush to finish the film. It’s a shame because there’s actually a lot of untapped potential for the premise that never gets the execution it deserves.
Mae Trumata
accidentally loving comes out on the 15the July 2022.
Watch the trailer for accidentally loving here:
