Love is in the air, at least on the big screen. February is set aside for the romantic. Whether one does or does not have significant other, it’s hard not to swoon over the amorous interactions of others. Particularly entertaining are the Hollywood love stories crafted to melt the heart and liberate the spirit of its viewers. This coming February, Director Aline Brosh McKenna has the perfect offering in the feature film Your Place or Mine.

Your Place or Mine comes with high expectations. However, Aline Brosh McKenna rarely disappoints. McKenna is responsible for some knock-out screenplays, but that’s not too surprising. McKenna has been writing for a good portion of her life. An article in The Hollywood Reporter recounts an earlier conversation McKenna held with a collegiate peer who expressed shock when she deemed herself a writer. Although she didn’t yet have great success, she called it how she saw it manifesting everything she was to become.

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McKenna’s talent has wrought titles such as The Devil Wears Prada, We Bought a Zoo, Annie, 27 Dresses, and Cruella. One can’t deny that Mckenna seems to have her finger on the pulse of romantic comedies, especially when rom-coms seem in decline. Nevertheless, McKenna continues to work her magic. And her brand of magic isn’t a secret. She has, at times, been open to sharing her secret, as recorded by The New York Times Magazine.

Determining the level of enjoyment one might derive from a film is often tricky going off a synopsis alone. And that is where a well-produced trailer comes into play. A well-constructed trailer gives the viewer the juicy tidbits needed to decide whether a film is worth viewing. But, of course, it does not give everything away. And sometimes, there are mismatches between the trailer and the quality of the film. Unfortunately, viewers are sometimes astounded by the movie’s mediocrity, especially given an outstanding trailer. However, a trailer does provide a good indication of what to expect. Here’s the dissection of Your Place or Mine trailer, and you can make the determination.

“McKenna’s solution to romantic-comedy fatigue is not to ironize the genre or make fun of its characters’ (and therefore its audience’s) quests) for fulfillment, but to give them what they want: a great guy and a great job, a happy family and professional success.”

Framing the Story

     Netflix

The tone is set almost instantaneously. The setup, the setting, and the characters are formulaic perfection. Together these factors prepare the stage for the perfect romantic comedy in the first few minutes, making the heart smile.

The first frame solidifies the premise. This film is about a couple in a platonic relationship. At least, according to Debbie, they are friends. However, given the current scenario, the two are close, although distant in proximity. The split locales and the cross-communication give this away. However, a brief flashback, a momentary reminisce, proves there is a steamy past and an electric connection. And even if that connection did not lead to emotional depth, there is assuredly strong physical chemistry.

A Friend Helping a Friend

This is a selection about the untimeliness of love. The trailer shows the blossoming of the seedlings in the context of a harried life where the pressure of responsibility weighs heavy. Reese Witherspoon plays the female lead, Debbie, a single mother. Given her talk with friends, she’s going through a period of burnout. So a vacation is in order. While such doesn’t seem possible, her friend, otherwise her once love interest Peter, extends an offer she can’t refuse. He volunteers to come over and look out for her son at her place while she takes a much-needed breather at his. So, she takes her friend up on his offer.

A romantic liaison awaits her in the person of a handsome stranger (Jesse Williams) she meets on a night out. Like a scene from a classic Humphrey Bogart film, she is swept away by the charm and unexpectedness of a chance encounter with such a beautiful stranger and an exciting prospect.

An Electrifying Moment Causes Big Decisions

Like all good films, trailers tell a story; they have a natural arc. They set up the premise, follow through on the plot, and then hit viewers with a glimpse of the climax. At the climax of the trailer, things become a little more complicated. Peter (Ashton Kutcher), who seemed nonchalant about the pairing’s relationship, begins to feel the twinge of something different. He suddenly wants to be so much more.

Only Debbie doesn’t know it. But that’s not unexpected. It’s reasonable to assume Peter was initially blind to his feelings as well. Because it was not until she was in the embrace of another that it dawned. Ironically, once she’s believed she’s fallen for another, a series of breadcrumbs trigger other feelings. Debbie begins to wonder if there is more between her and Peter. Of course, she has a crucial decision to make.

Love Comes When You Least Expect It

The Your Place or Mine trailer indicates that the film is adorably fun. And it sends the reminder that true love exists where you least expect it. From one viewing, one can’t help but note the heartwarming and comedic undertones. But this is as expected given the casting of two career comedic actors, Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon, as leads. However, the penultimate hope is that the chemistry that radiates throughout the trailer will translate well to the screen.

For the amorous who long to see love play out in full, Your Place or Mine is set to be released on February 10 on Netflix.