Can You Keep A Secret? (15) | Close-Up Film Review
Dir: Todd Robinson, US 2019, 84 mins.
Cast: Alexandra Daddario, Tyler Hoechlin, Laverne Cox, Kimiko Glenn
Review by Carlie Newman
Available on digital download
This is a standard example of a Rom-com. Based on the novel by Sophie Kinsella, a well-known romantic fiction writer, there is a lot of romance and a number of amusing moments. The many improbabilities and somewhat chunky dialogue stop it from getting a higher rating. It begins really well with a young attractive woman sitting next to a young attractive man on a plane and telling him her inner most secrets when she fears the plane is about to crash.
Emma (Alexandra Daddario) who has been put into first class on a return flight to New York, tells Jack (Tyler Hoechlin) all about her work at an energy drink company and how awful it is. She also revels her lack of good sex with her current boyfriend and even reveals her worries about her G-spot. Jack is bemused and drinks it all in.
However, when she goes into work in New York, Emma is shocked to find that the new, somewhat elusive CEO, Jack Harper, is the handsome stranger she told all her secrets to on the plane. As she is just a very lowly marketing person, she expects to be fired when she is called into his office. But no, he asks her on a date in spite of having caught her out in various incidents which she has mentioned on the plane – such as saying she has read a classic book when she hasn’t.
Emma soon dumps her boyfriend and gets into a deep relationship with Jack. But all doesn’t run smoothly mainly due to the fact that Jack is very close. He, too, has secrets, but he doesn’t tell Emma. There are a number of misunderstandings before …oh, well , you can guess!
This adaptation of Kinsella’s book is not as good as the novels I have read. What saves the movie from disaster is the light touch that the actors give to their roles. Always good to look at, Alexandra Daddario and Tyler Hoechlin play nicely off each other and produce quite charming characters. There are a couple of good minor roles played by Kimiko Glenn as one of Emma’s friends and Laverne Cox as her immediate boss.
While the meet-cute is well depicted at the beginning, the rest of the film goes somewhat downhill. See it if you want something very light and easy to watch.
Available on Digital download now.
