To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

For some reason, it seems I've watched more comedy-dramas centered on girls or young women from 2018 or thereabout than from other periods. Here's one more. Only later did I learn that it launched a series.

The movie doesn't make the setting clear, but the Jenny Han novel specifies modern Virginia. Lara Jean Song-Covey (Lana Condor), 16, sometimes called LJ, has been largely keeping to herself. She used to write letters to multiple crushes and put them in addressed envelopes without sending them. To her mortification, the letters "somehow" get out, as she discovers when Peter (Noah Centineo) tells her he's not ready to date her. By this time, she's not that interested in him either. They nevertheless work out an agreement to fake a relationship, because he wants to make his ex, Gen (Emilija Baranac), jealous and LJ has almost the opposite goal: to dissuade Josh (Israel Broussard), recently dumped by her older sister, Margot (Janel Parrish), from pursuing LJ in the wake of the letter he received. Perhaps neither Peter nor LJ knows the phrase "Fake it till you make it."

LJ has had five crushes, but only two really matter for this story. Lucas (Trezzo Mahoro) turns out to be gay, so he serves only as a confidant for LJ. The other two don't go to the same school, and one doesn't even show up in the sequels. To me, this overcomplication was the main sign of a basis in a book.

I considered adding a "racial" tag, because a few moments call attention to the Korean half of LJ's heritage, but it doesn't affect the plot or even the humor much. Nobody alludes to Asian stereotypes, even when LJ drives poorly. Nor does anyone raise an eyebrow at the prospect of interracial romance. Only a conversation about the political incorrectness of Sixteen Candles stands out.

Cracked.com pointed out how many romantic comedies center on "monsters." I wouldn't go that far this time. In addition to the whole charade, LJ does wrong in effectively ghosting Margot and Josh, and she gets overly furious at her kid sister, Kitty (Anna Cathcart). I have some idea of why Josh sees Peter as a jerk jock. But neither member of the not-so-fake couple appalls me. Gen strikes me as meaner, and even she's not a caricature.

Things are so formulaic that I rarely came anywhere close to surprise. This might also explain why I rarely came anywhere close to chuckling. Fortunately, it works as a fairly credible love story. At any given time, it's hard to gauge how much LJ and Peter like each other unless they're being earnestly passionate. I did end up rooting for them to make it work.

TAtBILB earns its slightly above-average IMDb rating. None of it's likely to be new to you, but the 99 minutes won't drag.