The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021)

Is "chick flick" a phrase that you can use these days? I guess not, since it infers that a movie is only of interest to a particular gender. Perhaps "Sunday afternoon film" is a better phrase. And "The Last Letter From Your Lover" is a real SAF.

Positives:

• "They don't make them like this any more" the saying goes. This is a love story cum melodrama that is well told by director Augustine Frizzell, in only her second feature. The film zips backwards and forwards between different time periods, trusting the audience to keep up with where we are. The dialogue is suitably soupy for a film of this type, based on a Jojo Moyes book (who wrote "Me Before You", also well-filmed). I've seen a critic review in "The Times" where they mocked the sentimentality of the love letters: but part of me would love to say "OK - let's hear what you would have written"!

• The story ticks all the boxes to keep you engaged. Although never moved to tears, a scene towards the end of the movie certainly generated a lump in the throat.

• All the leads are great. Shailene Woodley has been a personal favourite actress since her amazing turn in "The Descendants". And she certainly doesn't disappoint here.

• The production design is lush, particularly with the 60's scenes of London and the Riviera (reminiscent for me of the recent remake of "Rebecca"). This is nicely brought out by the cinematography (by George Steel), with some of the scenes being 'hang on the wall' beautiful to look at.

• It's wonderful to see the late Ben Cross in the movie, and he gives an excellent and touching performance. Cross died of cancer in August 2020 at the age of just 72. This is probably not his last movie, since he was in another - "The Devil's Light" - currently in post-production. Such a sad loss to the industry.

Negatives:

• The movie tries to construct a love story in the 60's and one in the present day 2020's, contrasting the different rules and values at play. The 60's one works; the 20's one really didn't for me. Ellie comes across as a very unlikeable person. The contrast between the lack of communications in the 60's (waiting at a station, not sure if someone will turn up or not) and today's chat/SMS rich 'always on' world could perhaps have been brought out more. With my Dr Bob directorial hat on, I would have ditched the present-day love story entirely and focused in on two professional detectives uncovering the past together: not everything needs to involve love and sex.

• The film has a couple of rain sequences that are highly unconvincing. One Riviera in-car scene particularly made me chuckle. "TURN FIRE HOSE ON!" You can almost see the blue sky and people cavorting on the beach behind them!

Summary Thoughts on "The Last Letter from Your Lover": There are actually few films around these days that feature love stories outside the teenage years. This is an 'old-fashioned' film that will appeal to an older age group, looking for style, romance and escapism. It reminded me in turns of movies like "The Two Faces of January" and "The Age of Adeline" in its mood and presentation. I'm probably not the target audience for this movie and I really enjoyed it. But the illustrious

Fmovies: I have to say I was sceptical at first, however the second that the story turned back to present day and initiated this past love story, I was completely taken. The romance that existed in love letters can never be replicated and seeing it, makes you dream and believe in it. Lovely told. Felicity is always wonderful and so is Shailene. Lovely surprised by Joe Alwyn. And wow wow wow Callum Turner - enchanting.

Ok, I haven't read the book, however, after watching the movie I will for sure. Point in favor because despite the fact that this history has been seen in other movies, none is the same as the other

Shai and Callum: I loved them, Shailene transmitted all the emotions in every moment of the film, the feeling of abandonment, the emotion of a new person, the passion to live something new, the pain of knowing that something is not possible, each scene is excellent, you really feel each of the emotions. With regard to Callum, what can I say? An excellent actor, a gentleman in the whole movie, (it's the first time I've seen him act), a man who makes mistakes but doesn't deny them, his performance (for me) has been beautiful, complete and clean, it conveys that desire to be with someone but knowing that the decision is not entirely in their hands, it was excellent ...

Joe Alwyn: the perfect husband, but who considers that his duty is to work, his acting has been great, his toughness, his little interest, his social class, everything has reflected it very well (I loved and hated when he asked the waiter who spoke only in English) perfect for me.

What I didn't like very much:

The story of Ellie and Rory ... it was a bit annoying because it was forced to happen, it was a strange story that happened very quickly without development without emotion and without attraction ... I don't think it was them but the same script but not I really liked his story, I advanced it in the whole movie.

It is a movie to see at any time you consider, it is cute, romantic, calm, without suspense, entertaining, it may have lacked development of some characters but it is understandable by time, I definitely recommend it.

The Last Letter from Your Lover fmovies. I wish I had watched this before reading the book because I think I could have really enjoyed it more. I LOVED the book...devoured it in two days...so it was tough to see it essentially butchered by the movie. I will say that the movie ending gave me the goosebumps that I didn't get from the book, so bravo there. I truly think this was a good movie, but I think to really appreciate it, wait to read the book.

I personally enjoyed it. The movie was interesting and thoughtful. Would recommend for someone who likes romantic films.

So good to see a feel good ol hollywood romantic drama after such a long time. They don't make these kinda movies any more for theatres and the ones they make for streaming are usually bad and they look and feel like a TV movie. But this one doesn't, this looks like it was made for big screen and it had all the charm the feel that these movies used to give us 15 years ago.

Not much to say about the story. Its slow but intriguing. Shailene Woodley is wonderful on screen and felicity jones is a delight.