Movie Review
The most interesting of these is related to the 1965 socialite Jennifer Stirling (Shailene Woodley) who falls in love with journalist Anthony (Callum Turner), who comes to her house to interview her husband Lawrence (Joe Alvin).
The second romance is set in modern times between Ellie (Felicity), a single girl, and Rory (Nabhan Rizwan), a single girl who both work in a London newspaper office.
Two Stories
The two stories intertwine when Ellie discovers correspondence from Anthony to Jennifer in the archives department of her workplace. It soon becomes clear to him that the couple are in love, but something has broken their extramarital affair. As she works hard to discover the history behind their failed romance, the film flashes back to the past and gives the viewer a sense of what really happened between them.
Two Different Timelines
It’s not the first romantic movie to use two different timelines to tell its story – The Longest Drive and Letters to Juliet are just two that come to mind – but it doesn’t quite work by trying to tell two love stories. As we spent more time with Jennifer and Anthony than Ellie and Rory, we only became invested in one of the romances. As such, we never really get a full understanding of the relationship between modern couples because so little happens to make them fall in love with each other.
Unconvincing Relationship
To be honest, the relationship between Jennifer and Anthony is also a bit unconvincing. She’s a socialite who seems to be in a loveless marriage, and he’s a foreign correspondent visiting a luxury beach resort in France. Before long, the two are having an affair and she is given the choice of spending her days with Laurence, whom she married for financial security, or Anthony, who wants to take her to New York.
Predictably, Jennifer chooses the latter, but it’s odd that more time isn’t spent telling their love story. Would you run away with someone you’ve only known for a few weeks? After falling in love with Anthony, it’s something Jennifer sets out to do, but things go awry. She doesn’t even know if she picks her toenails in bed!
Road To True Love
The road to true love, of course, never runs smoothly. Before leaving her old life behind, Jennifer gets into a car accident and loses her memory. She forgets Anthony and goes on with her life without him. Only later, after finding a letter from her lover, is her memory of their relationship restored. But at this stage, their chances of rekindling their romance are slim, especially when Laurence threatens to ruin Jennifer’s life if she leaves and runs to Anthony.
In the present day, Ellie learns about their broken relationship and tries to put them back together. He also tries to deal with the issues that are confusing his feelings for Rory and their chances at happily ever after.
Not A Bad Movie
Unconvincing relationships aside, the movie isn’t bad. Going back to the 60s has a good sense of time and place, and there are interesting parallels between the two eras. The director cleverly uses some of the same locations and it’s interesting to see how they change over time.
Main Leads
The four main leads are good, and they’re surrounded by a decent supporting cast, including the late Ben Cross as the elderly Anthony and Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa, who appears briefly as one of Ellie’s co-workers. It’s the performances that elevate the film, because without actors of this caliber, it would be less interesting.
Good Looking Film
Last Letter From Your Lover is a good-looking film with four charming actors and a narrative device that manages to hold your interest. If you’re a die-hard romantic, you’ll probably love this movie more than I did. Despite their insecurities, you can get swept up in the on-screen romances. But if you’re looking for a love story (or two love stories) you can believe in, you might need one. This isn’t Brief Encounters, despite a heartwarming sequence set in a train station.