The Last Letter From Your Lover Is Here To Revive The Classic Romance

As much as people like to indulge in the best imports from the film festival circuit or wade into the world of indie cinema, underneath it all, the majority of us love a grand Hollywood romance. Yes, it might not be cool to admit it, but on a hungover Sunday or a cold rainy evening, droves of us turn to our streaming services to find something that will make us feel warm and fuzzy for a few hours. 

This genre of heady romance film has been historically dominated by book-to-screen adaptations, with Nicholas Sparks ruling the 2000’s with his bestselling stories of star-crossed lovers. From teenage tragedies like A Walk To Remember to genre-defining films like The Notebook, Sparks’ tear-jerkers became the blueprint for what a romance film was. That was until British author Jojo Moyes came and shook up the category in 2016 with her smash hit novel-turned-movie Me Before You.

Starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, the tale of connection between a quadriplegic man and his caregiver became an (admittedly problematic) classic; its success proving the world still had an appetite for emotion-filled happily ever afters. Now, Moyes is back with her second film adaptation, The Last Letter from Your Lover, bringing along with it all the good-looking people kissing you could ask for. Told via two narratives, the story follows a glamorous married woman named Jennifer Stirling (Shailene Woodley) who falls in love with a divorced journalist named Anthony O’Hare in the 1960s (Callum Turner). 

In the present day, the couple’s love letters are accidentally discovered by a newspaper writer Ellie (Felicity Jones), who embarks on a quest to unravel details about their illicit romance with the help of an archivist named Rory (Nabhaan Rizwan). Flitting back and forth between contemporary society and the 1960s, the transitions between time periods may seem jarring at first, but become surprisingly smooth as the story starts to unfold.

Starting out in modern-day London, reporter Ellie is in the throes of a big break-up, trying to distract herself with one night stands and work projects. On one particularly frantic morning, she stumbles across the swoon-worthy prose of two young lovers, which lands her in the records room desperately searching for more letters. It’s from there that we jump to 1965, where we see Jennifer return from hospital alongside her husband Laurence (Joe Alwyn). Suffering from amnesia due to a recent car accident, she soon begins to piece together memories from her summer on the French Riviera.

It's there that Jennifer met a dashing foreign correspondent from London named Anthony. During a glamorous dinner, Anthony watches on as Jennifer is ignored, belittled and mansplained to by her rich husband. As the pair begin to spend time alone, it becomes clear that Mr O'Hare is a complete contrast, sincerely asking meaningful questions about her life before Laurence. As they discuss emotional matters before the vista of the sparkling ocean, the sexual tension becomes undeniable, with enough saucy stolen glances to have you rooting for a full-blown affair. 

In present-day London, Ellie enlists the help of the adorable records room attendant named Rory to help her find out what happens with the lovers ‘will they, won’t they’ escapade. Wading through the archives, the pair hatch a Parent Trap-style plan to try and track down the now-pensioners and get some concrete answers. But given the amount of time that's passed, the mission threatens to ruin the romantic story they've built in their heads with the inevitable realities of how painful relationships can really be.

As far as the storyline feeling relatable to a modern audience, the film does attempt to show the power that men could have over their partners legally and physically in the 1960s. But while it does say something in regards to the shackles put on women, it puts its own limitations on Ellie, framing her as a heartbroken woman waiting for Mr Right to come along and put her back together again. However, if you aren't someone who expects romance films to feature realistic characters, this stands more as an oversight than an undeniable disaster.

After living through a whole pandemic, The Last Letter From Your Lover is a welcome reminder that the road to true love never did run smooth. While it might have made more sense to see Felicity and Shailene switch and play the other's role, the supporting performances from the talented Callum and Rizwaan make up for any casting faux pas (although it should be noted that Ncuti Gatwa is criminally underused). For those wanting a story chock full of burning desire and grand gestures, The Last Letter From Your Lover is the swooning romance you've been craving, standing as a testament to not wasting time and always telling those you love that you love them.