THE STORY – Pia, a struggling photographer, receives a prediction: true love awaits in her next five dates. With her sister’s wedding looming and her family playing matchmaker, her ex re-appears, throwing her love life into chaos.
THE CAST – Simone Ashley Hero & Fiennes Tiffin
THE TEAM – Prarthana Mohan (Director) & Nikita Lalwani (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 101 Minutes
Picture this: a rom-com that has witty dialogue, off-the-charts chemistry, and above all, earnestness. A rom-com that isn’t snarky but sincere about what it is. Director Prarthana Mohan has a promising eye for some of these sentiments in her film “Picture This.” The film embraces lightheartedness and a messy protagonist (played by a charming Simone Ashley) who yearns for what she wants and does not need a romantic partner to fulfill it. With a script by acclaimed novelist Nikita Lalwani, who makes her narrative feature screenplay debut, the story is less about finding “the one” and more about finding oneself in the chaos of societal expectations. While “Picture This” lacks precision in romantic and comedic storytelling, from unexplored love interests to flat jokes, the film finds a heartfelt core in enjoyable family dynamics and resonating themes of empowerment.
The film follows Pia (Ashley), a photographer who runs a fledgling studio in London with her best friend Jay (Luke Fetherston). While at preliminary festivities for her sister Sonal’s (Anoushka Chadha) wedding, a guru predicts that Pia will find her soulmate within her next five dates. Pia’s family springs into matchmaker mode and sets her up on various blind dates, throwing her career and love life in the air. Pia’s ex-boyfriend Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) also pops up; as the best man for Sonal’s fiance, he has an increased presence in Pia’s life. Could Charlie be her true love all along?
The screenplay manages to subvert familiar genre tropes by not making the question of “Will they or won’t they?” the main source of conflict. However, considering how often the two characters run into each other, notably during an impromptu photography session at Pia’s studio, more time spent on their motivations towards each other could have at least added far more emotional resonance to their dynamic. The film’s final act, in particular, has the makings of a satisfying rom-com moment. But because the characters’ intentions sit largely beneath the surface, the viewer yearns for something more.
The blind dates – including an obnoxious billionaire, a subdued teacher, and a fool who thinks the Earth is flat – are played more for laughs, as characters simply find themselves in zany situations. While the film maintains a consistent physical comedy style, some jokes fall flat and feel ill-advised. Thankfully, Ashley brings enough self-awareness and enjoyable timing to make much of her witty banter land. It also helps that the film does not take these brief encounters seriously. As the story floats between such fleeting romantic “prospects,” Pia’s independence and self-growth remain at the forefront of thematic expression. The film establishes her character early on as an independent thinker who doesn’t want a man and whose goal is to grow her photography studio. The blind dates help push Pia’s journey along by providing insight into what she stands for and what she is looking for (or not looking for) in a partner, should she choose to be in a relationship one day.
Being single in your 30s opens the floor to a perpetual “When are you going to settle down/get married/have kids?” line of questioning. For many, it never stops until societal and cultural expectation is achieved. Pia’s mother, Laxmi (Sindhu Vee), goes further to encourage her daughter down the aisle; at the Mumbai Savings Bank in East London, Laxmi reveals a collection of jewelry saved for Pia to put towards a wedding. This persistence and some encouragement from her bestie (Fetherston) to play along pushes Pia to appease her family’s desires. What lends some freshness to the matchmaking plot is that the underlying conflict isn’t just a waiting game of who will end up together but rather how much she will learn in her journey of accepting herself for who she is and what she wants.
Between the blind date scenarios, wedding festivities, photography studio drama, and ex-boyfriend awkwardness, too much is stacked onto the film’s plate. Some emotionality in Pia’s self-journey and family dynamics (especially with her sister) gets lost in a repetitive party of charades and clichés, as does a coming-out story for her friend Jay (who feels more like an archetype at times). The film’s pacing also rushes through character development, notably the shared history between Pia and Charlie, and delays a classic rom-com climax. Despite an unfocused lens, the cast brings fun energy and charm to the screen. Simone Ashley lights up the screen with charisma, wit, and an endearing presence that adds tremendous sincerity to the film. Sindhu Vee (who also played Ashley’s mother in “Sex Education”) shines in the few moments her character gets, including a random subplot involving one of the blind dates. Anoushka Chadha also stands out as Pia’s sister, Sonal, bringing an entertaining personality to the sisterly bond.
Too many recent romantic comedies tend to avoid being earnest altogether. They also tend to underestimate the power of good chemistry and lack enough three-dimensional characters with whom you can fall in love. “Picture This” may not be the most unique story, nor does it reach the pinnacle of the rom-com genre. But the film finds enough moments of freshness and earnestness in the protagonist’s journey to stand out in a sea of generic rom-coms. Ashley’s incredibly charming performance is the most compelling highlight of the film. The story also prioritizes resonant themes about finding love in your own time and allowing yourself to grow outside of the closely held expectations that families (and societies at large) often perpetuate.
