Wish You Were Here – Review

The Review

Some say love is a burning thing, and maybe that’s true. Maybe it makes a fiery ring. I wouldn’t know. But what I do know is that I’ve been around the block with movies, and Wish You Were Here took me somewhere I wasn’t expecting. I won’t pretend my words can do it justice, I can’t capture the full experience, but I’ll try.

How would you like to have your heart broken by a movie? No? Fair. How about watching a film that puts it back together again? That’s what this is. That’s Wish You Were Here. A cathartic ride, as someone smarter than me probably already said.

I’ve seen my share of movies. Seen stories try to shine light on life and love. But this one? This one grabs you without asking. One minute, I’m watching. The next, I’m in it, completely unsuspecting, riding shotgun through heartbreak and healing.

Visually, aurally, emotionally, this film is stunning. It takes you places, from the depth of sorrow to, ideally, the shores of Florida. And I mean ideally. This isn’t just romance; it’s a visceral, heart-pounding, soul-searching kind of love story. Is that a genre? Well, it should be, and this film is the blueprint.

The relationships here are tangled, raw, and achingly real. It’s like perfect timing colliding with the worst timing. But as the story unfolds, every piece locks into place, like a puzzle you didn’t know you were building. Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Gabby Kono-Abdy, Jennifer Grey, and Kelsey Grammer deliver performances so natural you’d swear these characters are your old friends.

RELATED: Julia Stiles Makes Her Directorial Debut In Wish You Were Here

And the chemistry? It’s on fire. The last time I saw such camaraderie on screen might’ve been Michael Mann’s Heat. Yeah, I said it. The way Pacino’s family life and De Niro’s crew dynamics draw you in, this film pulls off something similar but with the heat of love, heartbreak, and second chances.

Speaking of heat, there’s one moment with Isabelle Fuhrman on a sailboat that flat out steals your breath. And let’s not forget the soundtrack by Vanessa Carlton and her husband, John McCauley. A soundtrack that’s been living in my head ever since. You’ll hear it, and you’ll feel it, just like this film.

I’ve never had a favorite romance director before, but that changes today. Julia Styles, take a bow. You’ve got a fan for life.

Synopsis

Julia Stiles makes her directorial debut in a brilliantly warm and romantic film based on the bestselling novel, Wish You Were Here. Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jennifer Grey and Kelsey Grammer star in a fascinating movie about leaving the everyday world behind to take a chance on true romance. When the perfect night with a perfect stranger ends suddenly the next morning, Charlotte searches for answers and meaning in her disappointing life until she uncovers a secret that changes everything.

Where to Watch

Wish You Were Here is on a theatrical run.

Trailer

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