#REVIEW: “THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY”

By Mr. Will Wong

Filmed right here in Toronto, Natalie Krinsky-written and directed THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB shines some much-needed light on us right now on what has been a dark time.  While they are a bit of a dying breed on the big screen, this smartly-written and well-acted Rom-Com has enough wit and edge to charm even those who might turn their nose up on the genre.

The Film centers on a young Art Gallery Assistant named Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) who simultaneously gets dumped by her boyfriend Max (Utkarsh Ambudkar) and fired at once, leaving her world in shambles. By chance, she gets a lift home from Nick (Dacre Montgomery) only learning after he wasn’t actually her ride share driver and by chance again, they run into one another at the most convenient of times.  Nick is planning to open a boutique hotel and together with Lucy‘s artistic vision, they find they might be right for each other in more ways than one. That is, until the inspiration behind Nick‘s hotel might threaten everything they have built together.

Krinsky‘s Comedy has a visceral way about it where her characters literally express exactly what’s on their minds, before wandering off on irrelevant yet still hilarious tangents. And when they feel strongly about something, they act on pure, unfiltered emotion and this if handled by less capable hands, might not have had the same precise charm that was resultant here.  We love the timeliness of the humour sprinkled-in, including jokes about women who don’t support other women all the way to how much Obama is missed right now.

TIFF International Rising Star Viswanathan shines front and center here getting right inside Lucy‘s head, yet also nailing how that also is her own worst enemy. She has a brattiness about her that somehow becomes growingly-enchanting as the Film unfolds. Strangers Things‘ Montgomery is swoon-worthy and tough not to fall for, sure to win some hearts over. Seasoned veteran Bernadette Peters slays it as Lucy‘s former boss, stealing literally ever scene she appears, while Hamilton‘s Phillipa Soo and Good Boys’ Molly Gordon in supporting roles as Lucy‘s roommates and best friends Nadine and Amanda, are wickedly-funny, playing-off one another and Viswanathan.

Above this, it must be noted how charming and chic the Film’s colourful aesthetic and Art Direction are, along with Alar Kivilo‘s Cinematography really made us believe we were in New York despite this being made here at home.

We admit we are pleasantly-surprised by how much we loved this. Elevation Pictures release THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY in theatres Friday, September 11, 2020.