“At
Midnight”
Movie
Review
Together with Maria Hinojos and Giovanni M. Porta,
Jonah Feingold wrote and directed the film. Diego Boneta and Monica Barbaro
star in the 2023 Mexican romantic comedy "At Midnight." The movie's
premise is that Sophie Wilder is filming Super Society 3 in Mexico City and is
hoping to obtain her own spinoff. She discovers her co-star and lover, Adam,
having an affair with a crew member while they are filming. Sophie encounters
Alejandro, a junior manager at a hotel used for the production, while she
battles to determine how she can proceed. While they strive to find out how
things can progress in their brief time together, Sophie and Alejandro grow
close friends.
With
a sickly sweet storyline and a pair of incredibly endearing characters, At
Midnight offers something special. It has charms that can make jaded viewers
change their minds, and it even has genuine humor. Regrettably, a deeper
examination reveals that the execution as a whole falls short. At Midnight has
a certain Old Hollywood flair that gives it a unique edge, but because of its
superficial nature, the relationship is less meaningful and more bubbly.
Along
with her egotistical boyfriend, Adam, played by Anders Holm, Sophie Wilder,
played by Monica Barbaro, is the face of a tremendously popular superhero
franchise. When Sophie finds out that Adam is cheating on her while they are
making their third movie, their picture-perfect relationship is devastated.
While filming proceeds on location in Mexico, Sophie is forced to keep their
split discreet despite being utterly put off. There, she meets Diego Boneta's
portrayal of Alejandro, the hotel's dreamy manager, who claims to have huge
goals but isn't too enthused with the idea of watching over actors. Yet after a
few nocturnal meet-ups, sparks start to fly between Sophie and Alejandro,
opening the door for a deeper connection to develop.
The
Mexican Riviera Maya's coastal scenery evokes sentiments of warmth and
unhurried leisure, making it the ideal location for the At Midnight film. It
creates an alluring backdrop for a star-crossed relationship, and Feingold
gives Sophie and Alejandro's story a promising beginning with the expected
meet-cute. It's cute and awkward at the same time, and their snippiness in
their conversation suggests that their relationship will develop gradually. Although
it isn't exactly the case because At Midnight is more concerned in how they
interact than how they fall in love, Sophie and Alejandro nonetheless form a
lovely couple. Due in large part to the genuine connection that exists between
Barbaro and Boneta, it is simple to fall for their early romance. Although the
initial choice to have their ideas heard as voiceover veers a little closer to
cringe, this is notably evident during one of their late-night adventures when
they go dancing.
The
main problem with At Midnight is that the script and director create a lot of
potential difficulties for Sophie and Alejandro but they never materialize.
There's Sophie's fictitious romance with Adam and the prohibition on Alejandro
dating hotel visitors. Because of these considerations, the pair can only get
together at midnight. The stakes significantly lower themselves as the movie
goes on. When tension does arise between Sophie and Alejandro, it seems
artificial and designed expressly to prolong the film's running time. The tale
of At Midnight is kept firmly at the surface by some very intriguing threads
about Sophie's career outside of the superhero genre that is left hanging.
That
isn't a terrible thing for a fluffy rom-com. Sometimes, the only thing that
makes a romance appealing is the chemistry that exists at its core.
Fortunately, the filmmaker has undoubtedly created a film with a unique
individuality. The director provides At Midnight with a traditional feel that
transports the viewer to old-fashioned movies, whether it is through lovely
opening titles or quaint transitions. At Midnight's Mexican-based characters
really speak Spanish instead of switching to English when they really wouldn't,
which is one of its best features. It gives the movie an authentic feel and a
true sense of place. In addition, pop culture-specific humor succeeds more
frequently than not, especially when it comes to scathing jokes about expanding
franchises. As an actor at a crossroads, Barbaro really shines in this scene,
while Boneta solidifies his attractiveness as a romantic hero. While supporting
actors Catherine Cohen and Casey Thomas Brown provide a few excellent laughs,
At Midnight's more subdued moments occasionally clash with their characters'
exaggerated personalities.
At
Midnight isn't the best romantic comedy, largely because the necessary
conflicts feel less natural than they need to. The movie manages to be
interesting, despite the fact that it might not stick in viewers' memories for
very long, because of the sincerity of the leads. Hopeless romantics are likely
to find At Midnight to be quite enjoyable because there is so much love in the
air due to Valentine's Day's impending arrival. It's a delicate, delicious
piece of happiness brought on by love.
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