Film Review – All of You (2024)

      All of You, 2024.

      Directed by William Bridges.

      Featuring Imogen Poots, Brett Goldstein, Zawe Ashton, Steven Cree, Jenna Coleman, Murray Bartlett, Chloe East, Daniel Levy, Éva Magyar, Alara-Star Khan, Jamie Langlands, and Tariq Rasheed.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A poignant near-future romance about two best friends who secretly love each other, even after one is paired with a supposed soulmate through a test.

      Set in a near-future or alternate reality, London is filled with advertisements for a pioneering eye procedure called the Test, designed to match individuals with their ideal partner. This innovative concept shares similarities with another recent Apple TV+ film, Fingernails, where a different procedure is used to find love. Initially, there are concerns since the previous film mishandled its premise, raising fears that this film might repeat that disappointment.

      What succeeds here is that, although the Test is a focal point in much of the first act, it gradually recedes into the background, allowing exploration of complex themes such as infidelity, intricate love dynamics, challenging relationship queries, and regret. Laura (Imogen Poots) and Simon (Brett Goldstein, who also co-writes) are university friends with contrasting views on the Test; Laura is eager to take it, while Simon is opposed, believing in organic love.

      Their close friendship is underscored by a delightful rapport and captivating chemistry, leading viewers to wonder why they aren’t romantically involved. It seems they are such good friends that viewing each other romantically is difficult. However, Laura ends up matched with a long-distance partner, while Simon ventures into dating, encouraged by her to connect with their mutual friend, Andrea (Zawe Ashton).

      Spanning several years in the characters’ lives and relationships, William Bridges and editor Victoria Boydell cleverly progress through time from scene to scene. This film is less about a singular moment and more about a series of highs and lows, where everything the characters desire or think they want is reexamined, often threatening their existing happiness. In a straightforward way, Laura and Simon make questionable decisions. Their complex journeys leave no room for judgment, which the filmmakers wisely avoid. A palpable sense of yearning envelops the narrative, fostering empathy for Laura and Simon; while viewers may not actively root for them, their predicament is understood, and the real issue quietly critiqued in the background is the Test, which claims to create ideal matches but doesn’t necessarily ensure they are the right ones.

      It’s easy to dismiss some contrived writing elements (one could elaborate on the naive nature of Laura’s partner, with whom she begins a family) or the apparent lack of aging over the years. In some ways, it fits the mold of a Hollywood romance, yet it is filled with fervor, desire, closeness, and deep emotion. All of You builds toward a devastating climax related to regret. It offers a subtle critique of what technology can achieve, in favor of something far more spontaneous, intricate, human, and beautiful.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder