On August 31, the romantic comedy “Choose Love” was released on Netflix, raising the issue of the difficulty of choosing your soulmate. And this is not an ordinary feed, but an interactive one. That is, the choice needs to be made by the viewer. In the review below we will provide guidance on the difficult question of whether this new product is worthy of attention.
Pros:
interactivity is considered a plus, because it really gives greater spectator involvement (and in a certain way is related to video games); nice bright picture, modest timing that doesn’t have time to tire you, absolute frivolity of everything that happens on the screen
Minuses:
the conventional plot is a collection of scenes somehow interconnected, which can hardly be called a full-fledged film; lack of “living” characters, extreme typicality of everything that happens on the screen
“Choose Love” / Choose Love
Genre interactive romantic comedy
Directed by Stuart MacDonald
Starring: Laura Marano, Avan Jogia, Scott Michael Foster, Jordi Webber, Megan Smart
Netflix premiere
Year of release 2023
IMDb website
Young dreamer Kami doesn’t seem to have to complain about her life. She has a wonderful boyfriend, Paul, an interesting job as a sound engineer for advertising jingles, and carefree evenings playing Elias with a fun company. But in reality, Camie doesn’t really like her job, or rather, the fact that she has to mix the audio track for an advertisement for a heartburn cure, while her colleague is working on the rock star’s new hit in a nearby studio.
And the girl also feels that she is missing something in her relationship with her boyfriend, despite the fact that they understand each other well (try beating them at Elias!). But one day Cami meets an old love, Jack, who offers to have lunch together. And soon she meets the same rock star, Rex, who seems fascinated by her talents and charm and already intends to sing in a duet.
Now the confused heroine will have to choose between three completely different suitors, and no one else, like the viewer, must help her in this.
Yes, the title “Choose Love” should be taken literally, because this is an interactive movie with the active involvement of the viewer. At one point or another, the further fate of the character and, as a result, the final decision regarding who will triumphantly kiss the beauty in the finale will depend on his choice.
This is not the first time Netflix has carried out such an experiment. Several projects have already been created using the same principle in the past, in particular, the most famous of them is Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. So the interactivity of this rom-com can hardly be called something new, and other than that the authors have nothing to offer.
This technique can arouse additional interest in what is happening on the screen, but at the same time it makes it impossible to perceive the content as a full-fledged story. Rather, as a set of images and scenes typical of the genre, performing a purely nominal function.
So we need to choose what the girl will answer to the fan at one time or another. So we must quickly (you have 10 seconds to do everything, otherwise Netflix will decide for you) put, or not put, the frankly arrogant boss in his place. But you need to choose a stage image for your first performance, if, of course, you get to it.
Not to say that this constant clattering is too exciting, but finding out what will come out of it is now fundamentally important!
As for the gentlemen, here too everything turned out to be rather bland and archetypal. Camie’s current boyfriend is the perfect man with whom you can die of boredom. Old love – a curly-haired macho with a Hollywood smile, eager to save the whole world. A rock star is an adventurous traveler with no permanent residence, but with sugary songs about eternal love, a slightly stupid laugh and a hairstyle like something out of the Backstreet Boys. Make your choice, ladies and gentlemen.
A huge drawback of the whole plan is that the viewer is forced to choose between such uninteresting characters, and the fact that each of them bears little resemblance to a living person, especially in moments of refusal.
That is, if you say “no,” the guys turn into automated NPCs, wish the object of their adoration all the best and immediately retreat away without the slightest hint of showing character.
The main character, don’t laugh, has little influence. All that the lead actress Laura Marano can do is give some hints to the viewer through breaking the fourth wall, blindly obey his will and not doubt only one thing – the choice of leather skirts as everyday wear.
What does the viewer get as a result? A bright video of a romantic kind and, perhaps, a chance to amuse yourself with the thought that “now, solely thanks to me, you are drinking champagne in a hotel room with a luxurious view of the Eiffel Tower, baby.”
Conclusion:
“Choose Love” is not particularly something to praise, but I don’t really want to criticize it either. This project rushes by so quickly that you don’t have time to notice how the climax is already unfolding. The film leaves you indifferent rather than evokes any positive or negative emotions. That’s why the rating is appropriate.
Our experience was this: we chose the option where the heroine succumbs to Rex’s charm, and checked how she could end up with Paul. If you’ve already watched it, write in the comments who you chose as Cami’s soulmate and why
