Written by Nadia Dardon
You need to relax, Lara Jean. Life doesn’t have to be so planned. Just roll with it and let it happen. – Peter Kavinsky
Everyone has been buzzing with the newest Netflix Original To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. After being released on August 17th, it has already gained the attention of people all around the world and with good reason since it was actually a beautiful romantic comedy.
The film is an adaptation of the young adult book written by Jenny Han of the same name. It follows the life of Lara Jean Song-Covey, who has written love letters to all of her previous crushes. When the letters are accidentally sent, Lara Jean is desperate to make sure Josh (the ex-boyfriend of Lara Jean’s sister), does not believe she still has a crush on her. Lara Jean starts a fake relationship with Peter Kavinsky, who in turn wants to make his ex-girlfriend jealous.
Now, the plot looks incredibly cliché. However, the storyline takes several turns and presents the situations in a way that does not seem cliché at all. The whole movie is actually very sweet and thoughtful with the characters coming across as complex and very relatable.
Lara Jean is quirky without even trying, along with being very sweet and funny. Her relationship with her family is a thing to admire and she always puts her sisters before herself. She’s anxious, yet very strong-willed, and just amazing all around. As for Peter Kavinsky, he is the typical jock, but he’s thoughtful. He seems to catch the small details and pay attention to them. He is sweet, dedicated, and loyal to a fault.
The movie explores very complex emotions, all experienced by Lara Jean. The importance of her family is highlighted throughout the movie. After losing their mother, the three sisters had to rely completely on their father and on themselves. With Margot the oldest sister and Kitty the youngest, they are always each other’s support system. When the movie begins, Margot is moving to Scotland to start college and the departure of Margot seems to be the point that indicates how everything in Lara Jean’s life will change drastically. But it also helps Lara Jean to grow as a person. She starts taking responsibility over her actions, she has to set an example for Kitty, and help their father. Lara Jean starts making her own decisions and figuring out what she wants. Of course, Margot will always be important for her, but her departure seems to help Lara Jean to mature.
The relationship between Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky is another thing to admire. While they never got along in the past, the chemistry between the two of them is undeniable. They weren’t friends due to Peter being in a relationship with Gen, who seems to hate Lara Jean). However, there is no doubt that without Gen in the mix, the two of them would have ended together long before the storyline we saw in the movie.
The pair are incredibly sweet together and they are compatible in ways that is almost not shown in TV or movies nowadays. They’re very different from each other. Peter is a social butterfly, he knows everyone in school, and a lot of people love him. He’s charming and talkative. Lara Jean, on the other hand, is very reserved to everyone outside her family. She’s twitchy and anxious, and friends with only one person. However, when the two of the mix they bring the best out of each other. Lara Jean starts to open up, letting more people in and making more friends. She starts going out and having fun, things she never dared to do before. Peter, on the other hand, starts to appreciate little things and grows a confidence he had not been able to grow because of Gen. They seem to grow together, and it is honestly very nice to see them together.
Also, the cinematography of the movie is beautiful. The director Susan Johnson and the rest of the crew really outdid themselves with this one. The colours are amazing and help to set a mood for the movie. We see multiple times a teal blue colour, accompanied by yellows and pinks. It is cheerful and a little girly, but also very beautiful and calm. The whole aesthetic of the film really takes the stakes for romantic comedies very high.
Overall, the movie was a delight. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing to watch, but the storyline is very funny and sweet. Clearly a movie for all those hopeless romantics out there!
The film stars Lana Condor as Lara Jean (X-Men: Apocalypse), Noah Centineo as Peter (The Fosters), Israel Broussard as Josh (Happy Death Day), Emilija Baranac as Genevieve (Riverdale), Janel Parrish as Margot (Pretty Little Liars), John Corbett as Dr Dan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), and Andrew Bachelor as Gabe (The Babysitter).
If you want to read the book first (or afterwards), you can find it on Book Depository, Amazon, and other book retailers.
