Romance films have been a weird mix of late. Streaming services have really been pushing the Lifetime style of cheaply produced type of films, with no-name actors and green screens. On the other hand, you have your box office success like 'Crazy Rich Asians', ''A Star Is Born' and 'Five Feet Apart'. Well, Australia has caught wind of the romance trend - but we've swung a little too far into the bad territory.
'Love You Like That' sees a town being turned on its head when a mysterious girl appears naked on the beach. They call her Mim (Allira Jaques, TV's 'Rake'), but Harrison (Mitchell Hope, 'Descendants', 'Let it Snow') - who of course runs a dating app called Bow and Arrow (*wink*) - has a connection to her. Everywhere Mim goes love seems to follow, as she helps ease the tension in the town and makes romantic relationships blossom. The question still remains - where did she come from?
SWITCH: 'LOVE YOU LIKE THAT'
On the surface, 'Love You Like That' is a stereotypical cheesy romantic comedy, and that's what I thought I was in for: a bad Aussie film with the Beast's Son from Disney Channel's 'Descendants' - but oh my, I can't even begin to unpack this 104-minute film. For the first half, it's just bad - terrible jokes, and exactly what you're thinking you are in for when looking at the poster. However I can't fully unpack this one without spoiling it, so if you want to go in blind then stop reading, but there's a spoiler warning from here on out.
So, who is Mim? Well... Mim is... Aphrodite (please read as Meryl Streep at the end of 'Mamma Mia!'). That's right - she is the Goddess of Love herself; the living version of Aphrodite. She has been visiting the town every couple of years, and one year she met and made love with Harrison's father, who is now on his death bed, hence her return. Which of course makes Harrison her son - which makes him Eros, the God of Love, Lust and Sex... hence the dating app. I can't say this is where I thought the film was going when I signed up for it, but my god, it was a beautiful twist to witness.
On the surface, 'Love You Like That' is a stereotypical cheesy romantic comedy - but oh my, I can't even begin to unpack this 104-minute film.
Even with its odd Greek mythology revelation, 'Love You Like That' is just a bad romantic movie, complete with its bad jokes and acting. While it's fun to watch, it's predictable and silly, and inevitably not worth your time.
And of course, this Australian movie about love ends with John Paul Young performing 'Love is in the Air' - which is just a reminder that you should have watched 'Strictly Ballroom' instead.