When cinema went into hibernation as coronavirus hit, most people were sad at the loss of tentpoles like Tenet and No Time to Die. While these absences have definitely been felt over the last few months, it was the hole left by The Broken Hearts Gallery that particularly got to me – as a Selena Gomez fan (who exec produced) – but the film is finally out in the world and I’m relieved to say that it was the cosy embrace 2020 sorely needed.
It’s a film about heartbreak and getting over bitter exes. Geraldine Viswanathan’s is glass half-full Lucy, who is nonetheless haunted by her many past relationships. No matter how hard she tries or tells herself she has moved on from on heartbreak… She hasn’t. Lucy likes to cling onto her exes. She is a hoarder – her room is littered with memorabilia from her past relationships (bags of shoelaces; concert tickets; even toenails). Her best friends (winningly played by Molly Gordon and Phillipa Soo) are constantly trying to help her move on but to no avail; Lucy seems stuck in a vicious cycle of denial.
It’s enigmatic stranger Nick (Dacre Montgomery) who helps Lucy grieve her old boyfriends after their witty meet-cute when Lucy mistakes him for her Lyft driver one night. Hopping in his Prius and forcing him to drive her home and then randomly bumping into each other again, the pair quickly find solace in one another’s company. He’s a lone wolf, trying to make ends meet to build a hotel and she’s a failed art curator needing space for a gallery. And so the Broken Heart Gallery is born in the hotel’s makeshift lobby for people to donate their memorabilia to grieve their old relationships.
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The Broken Hearts Gallery isn’t breaking any new ground. It walks well-trodden material and is aware of it; yet unlike a lot of the romcoms that falls to the kerbside, writer/director Natalie Krinsky has something to add here, which is what makes her directorial debut really sparkle. While this does eventually become a saccharine affair, Krinsky’s view on love is largely cynical throughout – for a romantic comedy, it has a surprising number of flippant observations to make on love. But, in doing so, it makes for a very relatable story. More often than not, navigating feelings can be a tricky obstacle; it’s not idealistic and easy like this genre can tend to show it to be and Broken Hearts understands this in a way that few films do. That being said, there’s still a constant romantic air thanks to Nick and Lucy’s relationship. It’s a slow-burner, but their turn from friends to lovers feels so effortless and earned thanks to Montgomery and Viswanathan’s crackling chemistry and the fact that Krinsky takes the time to get to know them.
Montgomery is a charmer from the get-go; the Australian actor gives a magnetic turn as the soft-eyed, kind-spirited Nick (a nice change after his more insidious turn in Stranger Things season 3) but it’s Viswanathan who steals the show. Having given strong supporting turns in Blockers and Bad Education, The Broken Hearts Gallery is her first leading role. It’s a jaunty yet delicate performance. Viswanathan is so dynamic that not only does she capture Lucy’s effervescence but she also gets the melancholic moments just right. Together, the pair is delightful, proving to be the beating heart of this film. Krinsky’s debut is a generational anthem, so authentically capturing what it’s like to be a lovelorn millennial. It has a distinct voice that feels not only contemporary but classic; much like the romcoms of old, this is a straightforward narrative propelled by character and sincerity. Like those films, The Broken Hearts Gallery creeps up on you when you least expect it and will have you grinning from ear-to-ear – which doesn’t feel like a regular occurrence for many this year. You may even shed a tear or two. Seek it out.
The Broken Hearts Gallery is out now.