Once upon a time, Working Title was synonymous with classic British romantic comedies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, and Love Actually. Then came a period of less memorable films like The Boat That Rocked and Grimsby. Now, 23 years after Love Actually, a new gem has emerged: Finding Emily (12A, 111 mins).
A Fresh Setting and Authentic Characters
Unlike its predecessors set in posh London, Finding Emily unfolds in student Manchester, swapping floppy fringes for bucket hats. The story centers on Owen (a star-making turn from Spike Fearn), a hopeless romantic who falls for a girl named Emily at a club. Despite receiving a wrong number—whether intentionally or by accident—he becomes determined to track her down.
His unlikely wingwoman is another Emily (Angourie Rice), a romance-averse American student who secretly uses him as a case study for her psychology dissertation. The film boasts attractive leads, a funny and eccentric ensemble cast (including Minnie Driver), uncynical sweetness, and a fabulous soundtrack. It has all the ingredients one could want from a romantic comedy.
Gen Z Sensibilities and Natural Dialogue
What breathes fresh life into Finding Emily are the authentic Gen Z smarts that address today's dating anxieties without trying too hard or coming across as achingly woke. This makes it the best British romcom since Rye Lane. The feature debut of TV director Alicia MacDonald (Lena Dunham's Too Much), with a screenplay from Rachel Hirons (A Guide To Second Date Sex), is blessed with dialogue that feels natural rather than packed with Richard Curtis-worthy one-liners.
While the far-fetched scenario occasionally loses its way, there is always something enchanting around the corner. It may not be flawless, but Finding Emily is a keeper.
A Charming Return to Form
I like a good rom-com, and Finding Emily, from those clever people at Working Title, is a pretty good one. Set in and around a Manchester university, it follows Owen (nicely played by Spike Fearn), a dreamy aspiring musician working as a sound engineer at the students' union on the night he has a fateful encounter with Emily. They catch each other's eye, flirt, and dance—then Emily rushes off with her friends, leaving him a phone number that turns out to be a digit short or deliberately wrong. He doesn't know her surname. Will he ever see her again? How many Emilys are there at a busy university?
Owen may be an authentic Manchester lad, but he engagingly wears his heart on his sleeve and is thrilled when the first Emily he finds—obviously not the right one—offers to help him. Only we know what Owen doesn't: that this Emily (played by Mare of Easttown star Angourie Rice) is only helping him to further her psychology dissertation on the madness of romantic love. Some might find it a bit creepy, but director Alicia MacDonald skillfully avoids the potential elephant traps. Fearn is terrific, and there's some very nice music too.
