The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)

The Broken Hearts Gallery may be all rom-com cliches but no one cares because it completely works, mostly off the talent and charisma of its star Geraldine Viswanathan who is an electric presence on screen. But she's not alone as the rest of the cast, from Booksmart's Molly Gordon, to Hamilton's Phillipa Soo, to Narco's Arturo Castro are all just charming and hilarious so much so that one just watches The Broken Hearts Gallery with a silly grin through the whole movie. 

Sure the film is filled with silly coincidences and often feels like it is being forced to hit the typical rom-com beats without really trying to make them feel organic. For example an ex-girlfriend shows up near the end just as things seem to be going well coming completely out of nowhere. Even the ending, with the oh so stereotypical "grand gesture" (which the film boldly has one of the characters actually label it) where he runs after her and confesses his love publicly, feels like it's going over the top. But it is pretty easy to forgive the film as it is just so much fun throughout. Just try to watch this without laughing out loud.

The story itself is about learning to let go of the past the embrace new love. Yes I know, we've seen it 100 times before. But rarely with this much hilarity and some pretty decent chemistry between the oh so cute leads, neither of whom meet the typical rom-com visual archetypes, but both of whom are impossible not to fall for.

This film easily made me laugh more than any film so far this year and for that is scores points. And if it makes Viswanathan a household name that also makes it worth it as she is a major talent just waiting to break into the big time. 

The Broken Hearts Gallery

Starring: Geraldine Viswanathan, Darce Montgomery, Phillipa Soo, Molly Gordon, Arturo Castro, Bernadette Peters, Suki Waterhouse, Ego Nwodim, Utkarsh Ambudkar

Writer/Director: Natalie Krinsky