one of my absolute favorites!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

3/22/18. While the acting was really good (though overdramatic at times), it was really, really depressing. Not sure if this is even a therapeutic movie to watch for those in Mbatha-Raw's circumstances. I get it that she was trying her best to gain some control over a situation in which she has very little control over, it was really depressing nevertheless.

It's not a bad film. It's definitely watchable and I did get a little teary towards the end, so I wouldn't call it soul-less either. It just doesn't have enough soul and it doesn't have enough originality.In fact, I've recently come up with a category of films that this would totally fit into. It's called "scripts that could have been written by an AI". A successful AI mind you - one that has been fed every produced script on the same topic, but also one that cannot produce anything genre-defying or ground-breaking. So here's the recipe it operates on:-Take the "Love Story" (the 1970 film) premise (as used by a million other films between then and now).Add a specific take and tension to the story, as previously done by films like "My Life Without Me" (2003)-Create good chemistry between two stereotypical protagonists (the "loveable and deceptively sexy nerd" male and the "strong, funny, and beautiful" female)Add the sidekicks: the "mischievous, promiscuous, but supportive best mate", the "(much older, quirky, and wisecracking) unlikely friend", the "overbearing but still loving" mother, plus a couple more distinct-enough-but-not-too-memorable-so-as-not-to-overshadow-the-protagonists characters.Make the photography and styling InstagrammableAdd a pleasant soundtrackCast a veteran actor in the old-but-quirky role-Cast a hunk recognisable from an extremely popular TV series to attract the fandom-Lightly sprinkle on top with quotable wisdoms about the meaning of life and deathAnd there you have it. Served lukewarm on Netflix.

Irreplaceable You is about a couple called Abbie and Sam, who are madly in love with each other. One day Abbie gets the bad news that she has cancer, and tries to set up her fiancé Sam with another woman after her death.Irreplaceable you is directed by producer Stephanie Lang (Veep) in her directorial debut, and wrote by actress Bess Wohl (Flight Plan) in her screenwriting debut. Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle) plays Abbie, Michiel Huisman (The Age of Adaline) plays Sam and Steve Coogan (Philomena) plays the wise group therapy leader Mitch.The best thing about this film is easily the acting. Everybody tries, and in some parts I admit to getting teary eyed. But that is about as good as this film gets.First of all, the writer Bess Wohl probably hasn't seen the film Adaption (2002) because she uses narration a lot. However the same shot being used every time narration is used doesn't make it any better, Stephanie Lang does an ok job at best, in my opinion she should probably stick to producing because she seems much better at that. Some of the lines are genuinely cringe worthy at some points in the film, and its like its ticking every romantic film cliché. Even though the concept is fairly original it does not capitalize on it at all making the film seem like a giant missed opportunity. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is having an awful 2018, first The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) now this. She tries her best in both of these films and she seems to be really talented, all she needs is a good script.If you like romantic films or just looking to put something on in the background this film will be okay. Otherwise stay as far away from it as you can.4/10

'IRREPLACABLE YOU': Four Stars (Out of Five)A romantic drama about a couple who have been best friends since childhood, and are now engaged to be married, who's happiness is destroyed when one of them is given a terminal cancer diagnosis. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Michiel Huisman. Christopher Walken, Steve Coogan, Timothy Simmons, Kate McKinnon and Jacki Weaver also all have supporting roles in the movie. It was directed by first time feature filmmaker Stephanie Laing, and it was written by actress turned first time screenwriter Bess Wohl. The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it was also released by Netflix through it's streaming site. I found it to be really sweet and touching. I definitely got a little teary eyed (briefly) too. Abbie (Mbatha-Raw) and Sam (Huisman) have been best friends since they were 8, and now they're engaged to be married and hoping for a child. Instead of finding out that Abbie is pregnant though, they find out that she has terminal cancer. Knowing that she could go at anytime, Abbie decides to dedicate most of her time to finding a new romantic partner for Sam (to take care of him when she's gone). She also makes a few new friends along the way.The movie is funny, in pretty dark ways at times, and it's also incredibly sweet. It's also (of course) a heartbreaking tearjerker. I know a lot of people that try to avoid films like this, but I love them. I really respect a movie that can get me really emotionally worked up, especially to the point of actual tears. This is one of those films. It's not a great movie, but it's definitely well made, and heartfelt.