There’s a bunch of random stuff that keeps us up at night. You know, those little thought bubbles that pop up and tend to float in our brains and question “Was the cat fed today?”, “What should I wear to the party tomorrow?” or “Did Cobb’s totem stop spinning at the end of “Inception”?”
And sometimes we do wonder, “What if Mom had dated Jungkook?” No, wait what? What is going on? We certainly didn’t say that.
Hmm. ANYWAY.
YES, WE are here to review Netflix’s new rom-com (that has nothing to do with what our intrusive thoughts spelt out earlier) which is “A Family Affair” starring Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, and Joey King. So, let’s get into it.
“A Family Affair”, directed by Richard LaGravenese, sweeps us away to the polished suburbs and the sunny palms of Los Angeles where we meet Zac Efron’s movie star, Chris Cole as he blurs around on fame and red carpets. Meanwhile, his assistant, Zara (Joey King) does his mundane daily bidding which causes her to possess disdain for Chris.
Eventually, Chris pushes Zara to the limit and they both part ways in an explosive storm. However, Chris realises that he needs her for a movie and goes over to her house to apologise and rehire her. As the fates align, he ends up accidentally meeting Brooke (Nicole Kidman) at her house and the two get steamy. And here we go, the triangle has officially shaped itself.
Now, the premise of having an older mom date a younger, hotter male isn’t the most original idea out there and has been done constantly since the beginning of the rom-com itself. “I Could Never Be Your Woman”, “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool”, “The Rebound”, “The Graduate”. Well, this list could go on for miles.
Of course, as times change, the hijinks would ground itself based on the setting. There’s much comedy to be had in the differing values and times. One successful example would be the recent Amazon rom-com, “The Idea of You” starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, which is still a popular subject of conversation today, a few months on from its release.
For the most part, “A Family Affair” is an okay watch just because it does a passable task of engaging with audiences while betting on the safe, cliche variety. A lot of the baggage is placed on the shoulders of the three main leads and for the most part, they put out fair performances, with Joey King having the most out of this as she showcases her classic goofball nature that we’ve known and loved, along with a fair amount of drama.
On the other hand, Efron and Kidman have very tough luck maintaining some semblance of on-screen chemistry and that’s a shame due to a lot of expectations being placed on this older woman-younger man relationship. We don’t think it’s the fault of the actors as we know how good they are and what they are capable of in terms of working with drama. Rather, LaGravenese’s uninspired direction bogs it all down along with the script that does not capitalise on the factors of their relationship.
It is tough to watch it and not pit it against “The Idea of You” not just because of how both these films have similar premises, but because of how that movie succeeds in being familiar, yet executing its ideas well.
See, where that movie thrives is how it treats its characters well and makes them attractive and interesting enough to stay glued to the screen. Why did we fall head over heels with Galitzine’s Hayes? Yeah, he sure is a stunning hunk himself, but it is the charm of what he is doing to woo Solène that also seduces us. The building blocks of charisma, desperation, and thirst were paramount in planting seeds and giving depth to their evident chemistry.
We guess Hayes’ boyband tour would operate as a corny scene. However, we cannot deny that it serves its purpose in giving us a version of someone that we look up to and like. And when Solène gets together with him, we are on board with our hands in the air, praising the Lord.
Juxtaposing that with Efron’s job as an ‘actor’, the film displays all the versions of his roles that give us the ick. We get it. It’s meant to evoke laughs. Yeah, maybe we did chuckle because Zac Efron’s comedic talent does do wonders sometimes. But this downplays what he’s meant to be the best at.
We are also shown how Chris doesn’t do so well with women and tends to break up with them ever so often. In doing so, the value of his persona instantly shatters. This character is being built as someone unlikeable and not even someone we are rooting for. Are we just meant to come to terms that this dimwit is about to hook up with someone much older, wiser, and more sophisticated?
The flaw of “A Family Affair” is that it treats almost everyone like doofuses. True, it’s not meant to be serious but there are limits to how many times this can happen in the script.
It also doesn’t help that the plot is just moving from spot to spot during the third act, and some developments end up being abruptly frustrating. Yes, it’s a bit of a jumble by the end, and we could tell that there was something scrappily put together just for the sake of it.
So, in the end, we think that it is fair to declare that “A Family Affair” is indeed one middling affair that could have been better if there was more polish in how its characters were written. It’s a bit of a shame, we’ve got a talented, attractive cast here, but they can only do so much, and save it only to a certain extent.
So, as of now, we’re going to let you wander off. And once again, we’re gonna let our thoughts invade.
Ah… “Will we see Taylor Swift in “Deadpool And Wolverine“?”, “How do emus wear ties?” and “What if Mom had dated Jungkook?”
Wait WHAT?
“A Family Affair” is currently streaming on Netflix.
The Review
"A Family Affair"
"A Family Affair" is indeed one middling affair that could have been better if there was more polish in how its characters were written.
Review Breakdown
- A Family Affair
