Note: yes, I fill my non-writing time with watching movies about writing. Don't judge me.
So, our review victim of the day is: Not Another Happy Ending.
I'm linking to the IMDB page there so you can catch the cast list, video etc. if you like, but it stars Karen Gillan, Stanley Weber and a whole bunch of other talented British people that we Americans are too narrow-viewed to even know exist. :)
The premise goes like this: Aspiring author desperate to be published lands a two book deal with a small publisher who happens to be a ruggedly handsome (okay, he's freaking gorgeous) Frenchman with a bad attitude who likes to make his authors cry a lot. They bond a little bit over the editing of her book, but when she finds out he changed her terrible title to something else (which she hates) without her permission (check your contract) she throws an ENORMOUS hissy fit and vows to leave his company the second her contract is up...which is after one more book.
So, her first book, OR COURSE is a glowing success and in between she finds a boyfriend reunites with her lost father and gets very, very happy. She gets writers block (hehehe) Hottie publisher decides she can't write unless she's miserable, and a series of humorous and romantic incidents occur in which he tries to sabotage her life to get her to finish his book, when of course, the audience knows it's because he's fallen in love with her....or eventually we do.
So, it starts a little slow, and the portrayal of the industry is a bit... dare I say it, Hollywood.( I know, right? ) So for the first say twenty minutes, I wasn't terribly hooked. The characters were sort of obnoxious and awkward people and the fairy tale first book success grated on me a little. But, somewhere shortly after that, I suddenly fell in love with the whole mess. I think, most likely, it was right about where the weird situation turned into a sweet love triangle, if still a weird one. Anyway, I was highly entertained for most of the film. Almost ruined by the ending (not going to blow it here) but salvaged for me in the last second and now I have a new favorite author movie.
In short: I loved it.
I really loved it. It's quirky. It's not American. It's sweet, and a love story, and about an author. All big wins for me. If you have some non-writing time, and a little patience, Not Another Happy Ending is a great way to spend it.
~Frances