Director: Ol Parker
Writers: Brett Goldstein, Joe Kelly
Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Betty Gilpin
Synopsis: Jackie, President and CEO of Air Cruz, runs a tight ship in her business, including a rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees. When a new sexy lawyer begins working for her, that policy becomes very tested.
Netflix’s Office Romance is a throwback to the golden age of ’90s rom-coms. With two charming, good-looking leads, chemistry that practically burns up the screen, and just enough raunchy humor, it offers the kind of crowd-pleasing romance that should appeal to a wide range of audiences, something the streaming giant specializes in.
The appeal here, and what elevates the movie, is that Office Romance was written by Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein, who brings his signature brand of winning comedy, making this fairly straightforward, low-risk romantic comedy worth taking a chance on. Combined with the megastar wattage of Jennifer Lopez, you have a movie that’s endearing instead of cheesy.
Then there are dashes of gross-out humor, including a childbirth scene shot with guerrilla-style camerawork, that gets right in the middle of the action; a gag that may either win audiences over or send them running for the exits. Either way, the new streaming film will charm the audience it was made for, with Goldstein bringing some unexpected wit and humor that the genre is known for.
The story follows Jackie Cruz (Lopez), the chief executive officer of the airline Air Cruz, which is trying to expand into the Dallas/Fort Worth market. Securing gates at a major airport is like finding shelf space in a big-box store, where you need to punch, scratch, and elbow your way into obtaining them, but it’s even harder to keep them.
When a rival airline sues Jackie and her father, “Captain” Jack (Edward James Olmos), who founded the company, in an effort to slow their momentum, Jackie turns to her top lawyer, Peter Vance (Get Out’s Bradley Whitford). However, after Peter ends up in the hospital from choking on a breakfast burrito, they call in his replacement, Daniel (Brett Goldstein), to handle the deposition.
Daniel is immediately taken aback by Jackie’s immense beauty, fumbling his words, and the only legal shop talk he can come up with is complimenting Ms. Cruz’s fancy shoes. However, after he clears his head, he handles the legal proceeding with ease, impressing Jackie, who shakes his hand and begins to give Mr. Blanchflower an unexpected, uh, standing ovation.
That’s the setup, and now the regrettable pun of here’s the carrot, that is really as complex as Office Romance becomes, putting much of the focus on the chemistry between the leads, and folding in an inane plot of will they or won’t they blow their cover of being involved in strictly forbidden workplace trysts. You really cannot take your eyes off them, becoming more with each passing scene.
Director Ol Parker (Ticket to Paradise) never falls into the trap of self-importance or pretentiousness. If anything, you wish the script from Brett Goldstein and Joe Kelly (Saturday Night Live) put more effort into the plot, instead of relying on corporate governance issues as a key component of the story. It’s a predictable development that audiences will see coming from a mile away.
Office Romance is nothing special, losing steam by the end of the film, but for fans of the genre and Lopez, the “classic” ending feels almost like an homage to the rom-coms of Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock. Sure, the plot is basic, and some irreverent comedy bits and subplots seem out of place. Yet, if we choose to find them refreshing, the combination of Goldstein’s warm and anything-but-cynical writing makes this film rise above the formulaic premise for the audience the movie is intended for.
You can stream Office Romance exclusively on Netflix starting June 5th!
