Feels like it’s been a minute since we had a fun, frothy, cross-cultural romantic comedy, doesn’t it? Something that warms the heart and tickles the funny bone in equal measure. Well, if you’re in the mood for something light and lovely, we’ve got you covered: What’s Love Got to Do with It? is in cinemas now.
Directed by lauded British-Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth) and written by journalist Jemima Khan (who no doubt drew on her own experiences marrying Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan), What’s Love Got to Do with It? introduces us to unlucky-in-love documentarian Zoe (Lily James of Pam & Tommy) who hits upon a subject for her new film when she learns her childhood friend Kaz (Shazad Latif, Penny Dreadful) is about to enter into an arranged marriage organised by his Pakistani parents (Jeff Mirza and Shabana Azmi).
The British-born Kaz seems comfortable with the idea and, with her own rather fraught romantic track record in mind, Zoe begins to document the process, while her mother Cath (a scene-stealing Emma Thompson) offers caustic commentary from the side lines and tries to push Zoe towards a meet-cute with her veterinarian, James (Oliver Chris). Of course, there’s a spark between Zoe and Kaz: could their comfortable back-and-forth debates on love, romance, and marriage veil a deeper connection? Well, it is a rom-com, after all…
More than that, it’s a Working Title rom-com, the same production house that gave us Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones’ Diary, which means they’ve got form for giving us funny, crowd-pleasing love stories that hit us right in the heart. Indeed, Zoe’s nascent documentary even nods to another Working Title film with its mooted title of Love Contractually. It’ll all end happily, of course, but how and for who? There’s only one way to find out, and it’s waiting at your local cinema now.
