Fingernails

It is sad to realise that we have stopped to trust our instincts and rely on technology or what society considers as a rule. This film reminds us that love is a unique feeling and we should not rely on anything else than our heart. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure that if this test was real, the majority of us would prefer to do this painful process just to ensure that have chosen the right person. Great movie, great acting and a story about love in a strange but extremely beautiful way. Jessie Buckley is brilliant and the chemistry between her and Riz Ahmed is something that you feel from the first moment they met. As should be done with love from first sight..

No, sorry. This is just plain daft! "Anna" (Jessie Buckley) is living with "Ryan" (Jeremy Allen White) having got their certificate. What certificate? Well it's one that certifies that they are a love match! She was a teacher, but is now job hunting - so when an opportunity to work at the very facility that empowered their affection comes up, she heads straight to the office of boss "Duncan" (Luke Wilson) where she insists she would be great at "training" the couples who come to have their own relationships finessed and evaluated so they, too, can be verified. She is duly employed and paired with the inspirational and charismatic "Amir" (Riz Ahmed) - who clearly has his own secret to keep, too! What now ensues just lacks any sense of credibility and, for me, any attempts at satire just fell flat, quickly. The tests are fun, though. In a room where all are clad in just their smalls, "Rob" (Christian Meer) has to quite literally sniff out his girlfriend whilst keeping his eyes closed; another sees people charged with keeping eye contact whilst immersed in ten foot of cold water - presumably more preoccupied with not literally drowning in a sea of love! The coup-de-grasses? Well that's the crunch time when they wrench one of your fingernails - don't worry, you get to choose which one - from each person's hand then insert them into a microwave-oven looking gadget that looks like a cast-off from "Space 1999" before it announces - 0%, 50% or the dreamt for 100% - and that's bliss!. The point of all this being that it could end divorce and unhappy marriages for ever. Once in love, always in love...! Hmmm? Buckley reminds us, occasionally, that she has a fine singing voice and Ahmed is easy enough on the eye (reductive, I know - but we really don't have much else) but the story is just ridiculous, and that grown up adults would ever treat with such preposterous scenarios is just too far-fetched. It's not in anyway a comedy, and the predictable romantic elements come with way too much physical, collateral, damage. It is even almost earnest at times and after half an hour I realised why I was watching this in a cinema by myself. Nice to hear a bit of Alison Moyet on big screen sound, but that's about the height of this. He really needs to get his car window fixed, too!

If you've ever been in love, true love you just know. You don't need anything as absurd as a test to tell you and that is what this movie proved. Science may be helpful but in the case of love it cannot measure it. This movie had me glued to my seat. The anticipation was a slow but swoon worthy build. I got butterflies watching Anna & Amir secretly falling in love with each other, both trying desperately to hide it. Although one of them fell harder and faster than the other, the only reason she wasn't there yet is because she was fighting her feelings due to her current relationship & the ridiculous test results with him. It was so obvious they were not right together and that she and Amir were. Their chemistry was undeniable. This movie made me think of my favorite quote " Whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same. " ~ Emily Bronte Any movie that takes my mind back to that quote is a gem in my eyes. I truly enjoyed this movie, I only wish the ending were a little more polished, showed a little more passion and had more of a solid conclusion. But I think we all know that they belonged together. It was beautifully told regardless. 10/10.

I generally watch anything that has Riz Ahmed in and never leave reviews but I'm really glad I watched this and was surprised to see such a low score. I found it a calm and peaceful film but I really felt it between Anna and Amir. I enjoyed subtlety of the question of whether love is enough. Jessie Buckley is brilliant (I've only seen her in Men up until now and she shows a totally different side in this film) and I found her heartache so easy to connect with. Riz Ahmed is as excellent as ever and brings Amir to life gently. Don't let the scores put you off, it's definitely worth the watch.