Anne Hathaway turns heads in The Idea of You – movie review

By Alexandra Heilbron on May 2, 2024 | 1 Comment

In The Idea of You, Anne Hathaway plays gorgeous single mother Solène, who’s just turned 40. She owns an art gallery and her idea of fun is going on a weekend solo camping/hiking trip. When her ex-husband bails on taking her daughter Izzy and Izzy’s friends to Coachella, Solène has to forgo her trip and step in.

The main attraction for Izzy and her friends is the boy band August Moon. Solène knows about them, but isn’t familiar enough to recognize each of the band’s members, so when she walks into a trailer to use a bathroom, she doesn’t know she’s just bumped into Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the 24-year-old lead singer of the group. He’s charmed by the fact that she treats him like she would any stranger on the street. When she finally realizes she’s mistaken his trailer for a public bathroom, she’s mortified, but Hayes doesn’t want her to leave. He feels a spark and later, when the band hits the stage, he seems to be singing a song directly to her.

Hayes shows up at Solène’s gallery the next day and after they enjoy some time together, he invites her to go on tour with him in Europe. Since Izzy is going away to camp for the summer, Solène is talked into it and has a wonderful time — until Hayes’ friends begin to make veiled comments about her age.

Anne Hathaway is luminiscent in this role — Solène is always beautifully dressed and has a house that looks like it’s been freshly renovated and staged. She obviously has money and carries herself with the poise that comes from knowing who you are. She also doesn’t look like she could be Izzy’s mother — she could easily pass for early 30s.

Her chemistry with Hayes slowly builds from their awkward early encounter into a romance that’s believable. Based on the hit novel of the same name by Robinne Lee, The Idea of You is pure fantasy. Who hasn’t dreamed of being swept away into the world and heart of a famous singer/heartthrob?

However, the movie also shows the downside of being a celebrity, as Solène and Hayes are followed by fans wherever they go, and Solène is slammed for being with a much younger man whose face adorns the walls of teenage girls — who dream of marrying him one day.

The audience for the early screening was very enthusiastic and vocal whenever something major happened on the screen — it clearly struck a chord with viewers.

The movie provides an intriguing look at what it would be like to suddenly be thrust into the spotlight. Anne Hathaway beautifully portrays the struggle Solène undergoes as she’s torn between doing what’s best for her and considering what’s best for the other people in her life. Nicholas Gazaltine also hits all the right notes, playing a young man with depth, class and perseverance in spite of what must have been a challenging way to grow up — constantly surrounded by fans, media and hangers-on. ~Alexandra Heilbron

4 out of 5 stars.

The Idea of You is now streaming on Prime Video starting today — Thursday, May 2, 2024. If you have seen it and would like to review and/or rate it yourself, click here.

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1. sharon • May 13, 2024 @ 11:57 AM

   Just watched this movie. And I loved it. Loved it.

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