If you’re the sentimental type, you probably keep mementos from the past. Things like a concert ticket, old notes, and maybe even a worn out shirt. It’s nice to think back on the good times those items remind you of. But some people may take the collection from their past to a whole new extreme.
In the new romantic comedy, “The Broken Hearts Gallery”, Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) keeps a room full of trinkets from past relationships; some of which include toe nail clippings and a ratty old Barbie doll. Her two best girlfriends, Amanda (Molly Gordon) and Nadine (Phillipa Soo), beg her to trash the random belongings, but it’s a lost cause.
Lucy’s most recent addition to the collection is a tie from her now ex-boyfriend, Max (Utkarsh Ambudkar), who dumped her on the same night she gets fired from her gallery assistant job. She later meets Nick (Dacre Montgomery), a handsome, reserved guy who’s trying to open a bar/hotel. As Nick shows off his passion project, the Chloe Hotel, Lucy sees an opportunity and a new home for her memorabilia. Together, the two of them work to open his dream hotel, and give Lucy a location for her Broken Hearts Gallery – a place where people can leave their tokens from past relationships.
Naturally, Nick and Lucy’s relationship grows deeper. The two share long days and get cozy quickly. But both of them have some baggage they need to let go in order to move forward.
We all know by now that I love a good romcom, and this one is a pretty decent one. “The Broken Hearts Gallery” doesn’t reach its full potential given its unique premise. The film only scratches the surface of its characters. There is a point where we discover an even more heartbreaking reason why Lucy keeps so many items from the past. But besides that mention, none of the breakup stories are that compelling. You won’t get the relationship lessons we received from films like “500 Days of Summer” or “He’s Just Not That Into You”. Instead, you’re given a heavy dose of laughter, as it can sometimes be the best medicine to heal heartache.
There is still a valuable lesson about not holding on to the past, but what makes this romantic comedy fresh is the hilarious script and performances. Director/writer Natalie Krinsky serves the right balance of over-the-top humor and heart. The dialogue is delivered at a “Gilmore Girls” pace with Comedy Central language. A lot of the laughs come from the supporting cast, Gordon and Soo do a fantastic job at playing two quirky, odd, support systems for Lucy. However, it’s Viswanathan and Montgomery who light up the screen with their chemistry. Viswanathan glides in this role as she effortlessly plays such an endearing and bubbly lead with ambition. All you have to do is watch the way Montgomery’s character, Nick, looks at her and you’ll be in awe. It’s hard not to smile when these two are on screen together, and I have no doubt we will be seeing much more of these actors.
“The Broken Hearts Gallery” isn’t the most enlightening romantic comedy, but it breaks the mold of the generic formula audiences are so tired of watching. It’s a feel-good, fun comedy that’ll inspire you to dig through your own closet and remove any unnecessary belongings.
Rating: 4/5
“The Broken Hearts Gallery” opens in theaters September 11, 2020.