- Everything in our lives is now measured by big data - social connections, our buying habits, and even our daily steps. That means eventually, one day, everything in our lives will be predictable.
- I think there are always some things that will catch us by surprise.
The monologues above are from the rom-com Love at First Sight, which was released by Netflix on September 15. In fact, the monologues could not be more accurate in representing Netflix itself. Rumor has it that Netflix invests in or produces movies based on its own data and algorithms, allowing it to accurately choose a novel worth adapting, create a perfectly balanced story structure, write scenes that will never be rendered obsolete or dialogues that resonate with the present, and find two adorable lead actors who share chemistry... you name it. However, beyond algorithms, the most important thing that catches us by surprise is sincerity. And this time, Netflix has it all.
Indeed, Love at First Sight is a predictably clear-cut yet heartwarming love story. The essence of creating an excellent rom-com lies in striking a balance between being cliché and touching. Attributing this magical ability to sincerity may seem overly simplistic, but I truly cannot find a better word for it. Perhaps what I mean is “sincerity that goes beyond skills.” Anyway, let's understand it from a different perspective. In the following paragraphs, I will present some feasible but uninspiring alternatives (as with most creators) to replace the details in Love at First Sight to make my point. Trust me, it is all about scriptwriting!
01 First Class Cabin Seats
Yes, you read it right. It is exactly what you think. Many romance movies all begin with coincidental encounters during cabin upgrades!
We can make Oliver a handsome and wealthy male lead (as most romance movies do). Excluding this, the story remains the same: Hadley misses her flight and is forced to take the next available one in order to make it in time for a wedding. However, there are only first class seats left on that flight. Naturally, she has to bite the bullet and accept a cabin upgrade, but little does she know that it is a blessing in disguise as she gets to meet her Mr. Right. In other words, countless love stories tell us a harsh fact: your story will only unfold after you buy a first-class ticket. Luckily, neither of the main characters in this movie is wealthy. In this film, Oliver instead ends up sitting next to Hadley after getting a cabin upgrade because the seatbelt at his original economy class seat is faulty.
Though it may seem like a small change, as an audience I find it very welcoming; in a way, it shows a sensitivity and respect to love stories across all socio-economic classes (and not only for the rich).
02 Matchmaker
Narrators used to be very common in movies. But a new trend has emerged where more and more movies have eliminated any visible, objective narrators (such as friends of the protagonists who witness their serendipitous meeting, a visible mysterious force of some kind, or simply the author's incarnated self in the story), and instead, let the story unfold naturally.
I can envision this story working out well even without its narrator (played by Jameela Jamil), but it is precisely her playful presence that allows us to relish the long-lost pleasure of storytelling. I meticulously tallied the number of roles she plays in the movie: a passenger in the airport lounge, a flight attendant, a security officer at the airport, a server at the wedding bar, a bus driver, a helpful passerby and a guest at the memorial service. As a matchmaker/cupid, she occasionally drops hints about what is about to happen or encourages the main characters to bravely go after each other.
Additionally, Jamil’s presence serves as a thoughtful reminder: I have already provided a preview of how the story will unfold, so instead of speculating on its predictable developments and complaining about its cliché nature, it is important to fully immerse yourself in the story and experience the subtle atmosphere and emotions between Hadley and Oliver. After all, there is nothing new under the sun, and love stories consist of nothing more than encounters, obstacles, and endings where the leads either find their way together or drift apart. What truly matters is the process itself.
03 Wedding and Funeral
Romance movies love to pair and contrast characters, values and the such, and it is no novelty: “Scatty and Crabby” , “Pride and Prejudice” and in this case, a wedding and a funeral. The plot itself is not enticing: Hadley is to attend a wedding while Oliver is going for a funeral, since the good old Four Weddings and a Funeral has already featured such a plot before.
Surprisingly, in Love at First Sight, the wedding turns out to be Hadley's father's marriage with his second wife (which foreshadows the potential conflict between him and his daughter), while the funeral Oliver is going to is for his mother, although she is not actually dead yet. It is a Shakespeare-themed going-away party (Why did I not think of that when I was writing my own novel!). As Hadley remarks in the film, "It's kind of a genius idea. What's the point of having all these people say really nice things about you if you're not around to hear it?" This is exactly why the movie touches us so deeply.
04 Literature and Mathematics
This is yet another cliché but it works well with a revised look. By incorporating opposing fields of studies into the story, the differences in the personalities between the two main leads are established - a commonly utilised approach in romance movies. Nonetheless, I can still offer a less creative suggestion of keeping things superficial. For instance, one is a fervent math enthusiast who is objective and stoic like the cold hard numbers he loves, whereas the other is a humanities student who is sentimental and imbued with romanticism. As a result, their opposing personalities attract each other but also trigger fights between them. Ultimately, they will reconcile because of these differences - reasonable but superfluous plot.
Love at First Sight exceeds our expectations. The contrasting values between the two protagonists transcend beyond their external images to tangibly propel the narrative. For instance, inspired by Hadley to say something honest and something he truly feels, Oliver finally abandons using numbers to measure his mother's life at her memorial service and instead directly expresses his emotions. Similarly, Oliver motivates Hadley to make a change with his algorithmic suggestion. He says, "Historically, you and your dad were very close, which means the odds are you will eventually forgive him, so you might as well just do it now."
I am delighted to witness the beautiful fusion of head and heart which ultimately improves the lives of the faithful.
05 Phone Battery Goes Dead
We can absolutely picture the scene where Hadley's phone is fully charged and she exchanges phone numbers with Oliver but the two later lose contact with each other after she drops her phone. It is totally a coincidence that is deliberately and brainlessly designed. Luckily, the movie does not do that. Instead, it portrays Hadley losing Oliver's phone number because her phone died.
In fact, Hadley consistently displays her absent-mindedness and habit of not charging her phone throughout the whole movie. Otherwise, she will not have missed her flight at the very beginning and left her backpack at the memorial venue at the end of the movie, giving Oliver a chance to win her back.
Although it is extremely absurd and nerve-wrecking to watch people nowadays not rush to charge their phones when their batteries go flat, I find it very realistic because I am also someone like that. And I can especially relate to those times when Hadley does not charge her phone on the plane, even though she has countless opportunities to do so, because I am exactly like her! I find it very impolite to look at my phone, and I do not even have to urge to do so when I am engrossed in conversations with my friends, not to mention with someone whom I have a crush on.
Anyway, Love at First Sight may be an almagamation of 100 different ways of destined encounters; but with those little adjustments, it has created the 101st way to tell a love story that touches our heartstrings.
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