25 Days of Romance Movies: Anyone But You (2023)

Today we have another Modern Day retelling of one of Shakespeare's comedies: Anyone But You which is based off of Much Ado About Nothing. This movie stars Sydney Sweeny and Glen Powell as Bea and Ben- who met when Bea was just starting an internship as a lawyer and Ben got her a tea so that she could use the bathroom and they end up going back to his place and he makes her a grilled cheese and they talk all night. She ends up leaving before he wakes up in the morning and then she realizes that was a big mistake and she goes back to his place to see him and he overhears him saying "I couldn't get her out fast enough, she's a total disaster" to his roommate and then she doesn't see him again until her sister starts dating his roommate's sister. Her sister gets engaged to his roommate's sister and then both of them end up going to Australia to go to this wedding. Bea and Ben also pretend to be dating so that their friends in the wedding won't bother them about not being together or trying to get Bea back with her ex boyfriend... who her parents love and also invited to the wedding.

I like this movie a lot because there aren't enough Rom Coms out any more and this was the first one where I was like "Wow... this is the type of rom com I've been wanting." And after watching it again- yeah it gives me that same feeling. It has a sub plot of Sydney Sweeny's dad not being able to dive in a swimming pool and Ben ends up helping him... and I just think that's so funny and I like weird little sub plots like that. At the end of the movie they also have all the characters sing the song Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield in character at various parts during the movie and I thought that was really funny too. For some reason that made me tear up a bit- partially because my eyes were watery from allergies but it is also funny, sweet and nostalgic and sometimes I cry during mash up songs and things of that nature and that's kind of what I think happened.

Anyway I'm not sure that I've ever read Much Ado About Nothing- I think I have but I get a lot of the Shakespearean Comedies confused and I feel like they're less studied compared to his tragedies. I still think the modern retellings of the Shakespearean comedies and I think I will try to watch more of them and read the comedies they are based off of. I don't know if I liked this as much as 10 Things I Hate About You- which I think does a better job of being a Shakespeare retelling and being a teen comedy... This one I think is fun but I just don't really think its the most realistic scenario for a modern retelling.

There's also a kind of steamy love scene in this movie and I think Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeny were rumored to be dating in real life at the time... and I can see why. They have crazy chemistry in this- I think the two are just friends who have maybe gone on a few dates... but they were good in this together.

I think that's everything I have to say about this one! Tomorrow I will have another movie with an actress in this when she was younger- so that's fun!

Bye!

-Shannon