Shadows on the Wall | Voicemails for Isabelle

Voicemails for Isabelle

dir-scr Leah McKendrick
prd Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, Todd Black, Becky Sanderman
with Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Nick Offerman, Lukas Gage, Toby Sandeman, Gil Bellows, Tanis Dolman, Ciara Bravo, Harry Shum Jr, Leah McKendrick, Megan Danso , Chirag Naik
release US/UK 19.Jun.26
26/US Sony 1h56

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Quick and funny, this romantic comedy overflows with perky attitude, goofy humour and references to classics of the genre. While each character bursts with colourful personality, the film also manages to mix an exploration of grief with a depiction of a strong, intelligent woman who is sorting out life on her own terms. So we don't mind that the humour turns rather sentimental in the final reel.

Growing up, Jill (Deutch) has shared each life highlight with her sparky-but-sickly sister Isabelle (Bravo). Now working in the kitchen of San Francisco rock-star chef Bastien (Offerman), Jill is shattered when Isabelle dies, so continues to leave unfiltered voicemails for her. In Austin, estate agent Wes (Robinson) gets a new work phone with Isabelle's old number, and he becomes fascinated by Jill's riotously rude messages to her late sister. So he asks for a work assignment in California and deliberately walks into the middle of Jill's awkward connection with podcaster Tyler (Sandeman), who's ghosting her.

Refreshingly, the film is made for grown-ups, never flinching from a sex-positive world view. McKendrick's writing and direction playfully riff on the long history of romcoms, with various meet-cutes and a narrative that hinges on an enormous secret, so we fall for these people as we wait for that other shoe to drop. The climactic sequence of course takes place at a wedding, but amid the nuttiness it's clear that their feelings are real. So we never doubt where this is headed.

Everyone on-screen is shamelessly beautiful, oozing charm and humour even when they're being shady. Deutch and Robinson have terrific chemistry as singles who have sworn off relationships. As if. They expertly navigate the snappy humour, sweet romance and darker feelings, including the plot's deliberate tension. And the surrounding cast is overloaded with scene-stealers, from Offerman's wonderfully sneering jerk to superbly awkward suitors played by Gage, Sandeman and others.

All of this is so slickly assembled that it doesn't leave a lot of space for subtext or surprises. Every corny aphorism from another movie romance is deployed, reminding Jill and Wes that they shouldn't miss a rare chance at true love. More intriguing is the way the plot lets Jill stick up for herself without needing a man to give meaning to her life. But then, it's also obvious that these two people are made for each other, so even though there's only one place this story can go, the ending gets us.

themes, language, sexuality 12.Jun.26

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