Love, Divided

I stumbled upon the original French Version some years ago and despite its silly premise I found the chemistry and film a delightful watch. Cut to 2024 seeing a new version on Netflix I was interested...

This film remake is missing the magic of the first one which is odd because it's mostly the same. It's just is very lacking.

This version offered nothing new which what's the point of making the exact same movie again with in my opinion actors who just didn't have the same chemistry.

Really if this film looks interesting to you just find the French version it's so much better. I would have people to see this version first and miss out.

Communication these days and dating for the youngsters can start on screens so a wall is not so weird

The story here is really very sweet a kind of feel-good Romcom with the usual oh no we are making a mistake leading to denouement.

The 2 main actors are excellent. Not being Spanish or watching Spanish TV was not aware that the leading lady is a They've Got Talent type singer; she is good here also quite a beauty which will please all male viewers no doubt

The main male player is also very good as are all the ancillaries

The film is based on a 2015 French story and film Blind Date (2015) I will have a look at that one see what the differences are; but the Spanish one here stands on its own perfectly; and if you do not know it is a copy and paste it feels really original

Within the EU now you see many films being reworked to GER ITA SPA Fr etc wherever the original happened; it usually works fairly well. It does here.

'Love, Divided' tells the tale of Valentina, a young classical pianist gearing up for a high-profile audition. As she settles into her new apartment in the heart of Madrid, she quickly encounters her neighbor, David--a reclusive, grumpy, and socially awkward inventor who detests loud noises. David occupies the apartment immediately next to hers and hasn't left the building in over three years. Complicating matters further is the paper-thin wall separating their apartments; although they can't see each other, they can speak as if in the same room.

For obvious reasons, conflict and comedic situations ensue as our two leads initially can't stand each other due to their starkly different lifestyles. What's curious is that each neighbor is currently struggling with their own outside personal issues that eventually enter their living situation. Soon enough, Valentina and David begin to fall for each other, simply by candidly conversing through the wall and finding they have much in common--all without ever knowing what the other looks like.

If you're reading this thinking, 'This sounds like a completely stupid premise for a film,' I agree--yet somehow, it works. Although it follows the common rom-com trope of two people who initially can't stand each other, it avoids the typical plot contrivances and unrelatable characters that plague many modern films of the genre, which seem to be written exclusively to socially engineer unattainable expectations for real-life relationships. The two leads of this film are relatable and have undeniable chemistry together, with Valentina, played by Pop-Singer Aitana in her acting debut, being exceptionally charming and endearing.

Euro-films generally have more artistic photography than Hollywood films, and this film is no exception, as director Patricia Font makes good use of moving camera shots to convey the idea of a relationship that exists with a wall separating the characters.

My main criticism is that the characters' early decision to avoid meeting face-to-face feels slightly underdeveloped, even when addressed through dialogue. At times, I found myself thinking, 'It's just a movie; I'll go with it.' Additionally, I felt some of the characters' decisions made in the final moments of the film strained credulity, however, I can give it a pass because I understand the symbolism Font was going for.

Overall, this slightly saccharine rom-com is more light-hearted than outright comedic, yet it manages to be relatable and surprisingly entertaining. As someone who usually works from home and is a former musician, I found both characters relatable and well-performed by the actors. I usually don't like rom-coms; however, the plot of this particular film had such a sweet, simplistic innocence to it that I enjoyed it quite a bit. 7/10

(I watched this in the original Spanish-Audio and can't speak to the quality of the English-dub.)

8.0 stars.

A man and woman are neighbors and soon discover they can hear each other through the wall that separates their apartments. It's a challenge at first, they don't get along at all. As time goes by, they become friends, and maybe more than friends...but they've never met face to face. Weeks pass as they continue their relationship this way.

Yet another outlier for me. All the reviews are showing thumbs mostly down as far as I can tell. Maybe this movie doesn't float the boat for the majority, but I was absolutely enthralled. The dubbing is done to near perfection. The voices used are really good and fit the personalities of the players to a tee. The lead male is good at his role as a shut-in hermit type who has been that way since his fiance died a few years ago. The lead female's performance is equally as good, portraying a woman struggling with confidence issues and trying to get her life in order. She's an amazing pianist, and he's a toy inventor.

The music is magnificent, so watch this just for that alone.

I don't agree with the opinion that the performances misfire. Quite the opposite. Maybe the dubbing makes it better? I don't know, but I really like all the actors a lot. I can't figure out what makes this such an entertaining and heartfelt movie for me, but it is what it is. I enjoyed it.

6.5/10 (Recommend)

This movie pretty much met the expectations I had for it. Based on the trailer and poster photo I felt it was going to be simple, cute, and a little endearing. I couldn't really ask for much more.

The chemistry of the actors was good and turned into adorable by the end. I do wish that perhaps they met sooner, and therefore things went differently at the concert hall, but you can't have two adorable moments so it does work out.

The story is nothing special, but is still endearing. The two meet as neighbours on a very rocky start and slowly develop a connection that becomes more true as time goes on. The music though a little repetitive works perfectly with all that is going on. It's the basis for the film to work.

The thing that irked me most is how the subtitles worked with the spoken word. I don't know Spanish, but I could make out enough that what was being said, and what was being translated, did not add up. Easy example would be, the spoken word is "Óscar", but the translation is "hi" or "hey". Others are full phrases that I can't remember off the top of my head, but would be out of synch or not seem to show up when the word was being said.

Overall, this is a very average film at 6/10. Nothing is special about it, but it will make you feel the love. Don't expect to cry or well up, but you'll feel the cute emotions if your heart will let you. It's also a little funny at times and that's why I liked it. I would definitely watch it again.

That's it for now. Thanks for taking time to read my review. Happy watching and enjoy the show!