Was I excited to watch Jennifer Lopez in a new rom-com? Absolutely yes.
Was I disappointed? Absolutely yes.
It wasn’t Lopez’s performance, she’s more than fits the description for a rom-com heroine. In fact she rightfully reigned as queen of the genre for a short but important time. And while her performance was enjoyable, it’s almost comical that throughout the film Lopez looks, as she has been looking in all her films for the last decade (genre irrelevant), very much the same.
The same hair, make up, lighting, style, whether she’s in the office, bed, on the beach, doesn’t matter, she will look not a hair out of place flawless. She no longer a character, in this case Jackie Cruz, she’s always just Jennifer Lopez, Jennie from the block, JLo.
It’s rather infuriating actually, because she can be, she is a joy to watch. It’s just a shame that Lopez gets in her own way.
Regardless, this review isn’t about Lopez’s or her performance. She is not the problem.
Office Romance is a romantic comedy directed by Ol Parker, written by Brett Goldstein and Joe Kelly. Goldstein, famed and much beloved for his work on Ted Lasso, starred alongside Lopez as her love interest. He was also perfectly fine as an actor. But as a writer…
The press around this film has been pushing the narrative that Goldstein, a big fan of “old school rom-coms”, wrote the script with Lopez in mind and would not make the film if she wasn’t on board.
There’s obviously nothing with writing a script for an actress. Goldstein is apparently a huge fan of Lopez and coincidently, it just so happens, as the film is being released, there are rumours a plenty that there is something equally romantic going on between them off screen.
None of this matters – their chemistry on and off screen, the romantic narrative that Lopez is Goldstein’s muse, that he wrote a script just for her and refused to make the film if she was not his star – strip the film down to what it is and all you have is a rom-slop.
Watching the film, attempting to enjoy it but constantly being distracted by the slop of it, reminded me sadly to the abysmal offerings of rom-coms lately.
Office Romance has been heavily criticised online, rightfully so. Frustratingly an opinion that I’ve noticed has become popular, not only in regard to this film, but rom-coms in general is that bad writing, bad stories is what we should expect and accept from the genre.
Simply put, rom-coms are an unserious form of storytelling and any shortcomings or nonsense a writer decides to include in a film with that label is just part of the package.
Wrong.
I’ve been researching, writing, writing about (and enjoying) rom-coms for a long time, and if Office Romance has revealed anything to me, it’s that the genre is in a bad state.
the issue here is reminding people what rom-coms used to be, should be and what they can be. And by identifying these odd sub-genres I’ve identified and named (you can find detailed definitions of tox-coms and rom-slop below), we can at least start by adding nuance to how this type of storytelling is changing for a myriad of reasons.
In any case, my quick thoughts below on the film and rom-coms in general.
Enjoy.
Office Romance: There are so many things to criticise about Jennifer Lopez's new film and they all stem from one major affliction.
The story: Airline CEO Jackie Cruz has no time for romance. Everything changes when she falls for newly hired lawyer, Daniel Blanchflower. As their secret relationship deepens, they must choose between professional rules and personal happiness.
Whether or not it’s a “good” film can be a matter of personal taste. However, one can’t deny that the writing is bad.
Inconsistent plot, cliched dialogue, flat characters…
What’s frustrating is across this and other bad rom-coms, audiences assume the bad writing is connected to the genre.
“It’s a rom-com, what else do you expect? It’s OK, just enjoy the film!"
It is absolutely not OK.
Just because a film is a rom-com, doesn’t mean the writing has to be bad. There is a rich history of incredible, amazingly written rom-coms.
However the quality of the genre has wavered of the last two decades as we are being forced to consume tox-coms and rom-slop.
In case you’re new here, I’ve developed two definitions of these sub-genres of rom-coms:
Tox-com definition: A disguised rom-com that leans into emotional dysfunction, centring chaotic relationships, poor communication, and questionable resolutions under the guise of self-discovery, authenticity, and romance.
Tox-coms mimic the structure of a rom-com but can replace charm and chemistry with narcissism, unresolved trauma, and characters who probably shouldn’t end up together.
Are tox-coms entertaining? Picking apart tox-coms can be fun and satisfying if one is interested in delving into the darker, maze of negative intimacy with no clean resolution that a rom-com can offer.
Rom-slop definition: A disguised rom-com, that uses all the expected tropes, plot points, and tone of a rom-com, often in a caricaturist manner, strung together in sloppy method, with no nuance, or attention paid to realism, character development, or depth of story.
Soulless and with no integrity, rom-slops are the worst kind of rom-com derivative. They only care to hit the climactic plot points of a story which are usually presented in the most cliched ways. They feel churned out as opposed to being thoughtfully created, and in a maniacal way are marketed to be authentic to the genre as opposed to a algorithmically generated schlock.
Are rom-slops entertaining? Their ridiculous nonsensical premises can make for light entertainment, but can come with a lot of frustrations. Rom-slops are usually mocked never truly enjoyed unless watching with no plans on comprehension. Rom-slops usually present an idealised version of reality, so the aesthetics, from fashion to beauty, cities, and interiors can be enjoyable to look at.
