Irreplaceable You (2018)

Irreplaceable You features an endearing story, fairly likable leads and tremendous supporting actors. So why doesn't it work? At all. First, it's painfully dull and flat. Nothing about the movie feels authentic or developed. Abbie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is diagnosed with cancer and is not expected to live long. But she never actually looks sick. She keeps her luscious hair, aside from a single lost lock in a scene that is supposed to be emotionally devastating but is instead eyeroll worthy because it's not deserved. The scenes that are meant to evoke emotional responses never work because they simply happen. There's no build up to pull viewers in and engage them. The moments are slapped on like a bumper sticker and contain the same amount of depth. The result is a tear-jerker movie that causes no tears.The other main issue is with the premise. I'm not sure that any writer could make this one work. Abbie uses dating apps to find a new girl for her fiancé to be with after she dies. It's uncomfortable, unfunny and unbelievable. So, of course, it never builds any momentum and is eventually abandoned in the third act. But by then the movie is nearly over and the plotline most in focus is doomed to fail.The lone bright spots come from supporting performances of Kate McKinnon (SNL), Timothy Simons (Veep) and Christopher Walken (pick a movie). Steve Coogan is also around but is underused. Just another example of the filmmakers focusing on the wrong aspects of the story. With some better choices of plot and character use, this movie might have been halfway decent.But the choices were the wrong ones, and consequently, this movie is a very poor one.

Makes you realize how really fragile the life is, and we take it so much for granted.

It's not a bad film. It's definitely watchable and I did get a little teary towards the end, so I wouldn't call it soul-less either. It just doesn't have enough soul and it doesn't have enough originality.In fact, I've recently come up with a category of films that this would totally fit into. It's called "scripts that could have been written by an AI". A successful AI mind you - one that has been fed every produced script on the same topic, but also one that cannot produce anything genre-defying or ground-breaking. So here's the recipe it operates on:-Take the "Love Story" (the 1970 film) premise (as used by a million other films between then and now).Add a specific take and tension to the story, as previously done by films like "My Life Without Me" (2003)-Create good chemistry between two stereotypical protagonists (the "loveable and deceptively sexy nerd" male and the "strong, funny, and beautiful" female)Add the sidekicks: the "mischievous, promiscuous, but supportive best mate", the "(much older, quirky, and wisecracking) unlikely friend", the "overbearing but still loving" mother, plus a couple more distinct-enough-but-not-too-memorable-so-as-not-to-overshadow-the-protagonists characters.Make the photography and styling InstagrammableAdd a pleasant soundtrackCast a veteran actor in the old-but-quirky role-Cast a hunk recognisable from an extremely popular TV series to attract the fandom-Lightly sprinkle on top with quotable wisdoms about the meaning of life and deathAnd there you have it. Served lukewarm on Netflix.

'IRREPLACABLE YOU': Four Stars (Out of Five)A romantic drama about a couple who have been best friends since childhood, and are now engaged to be married, who's happiness is destroyed when one of them is given a terminal cancer diagnosis. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Michiel Huisman. Christopher Walken, Steve Coogan, Timothy Simmons, Kate McKinnon and Jacki Weaver also all have supporting roles in the movie. It was directed by first time feature filmmaker Stephanie Laing, and it was written by actress turned first time screenwriter Bess Wohl. The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it was also released by Netflix through it's streaming site. I found it to be really sweet and touching. I definitely got a little teary eyed (briefly) too. Abbie (Mbatha-Raw) and Sam (Huisman) have been best friends since they were 8, and now they're engaged to be married and hoping for a child. Instead of finding out that Abbie is pregnant though, they find out that she has terminal cancer. Knowing that she could go at anytime, Abbie decides to dedicate most of her time to finding a new romantic partner for Sam (to take care of him when she's gone). She also makes a few new friends along the way.The movie is funny, in pretty dark ways at times, and it's also incredibly sweet. It's also (of course) a heartbreaking tearjerker. I know a lot of people that try to avoid films like this, but I love them. I really respect a movie that can get me really emotionally worked up, especially to the point of actual tears. This is one of those films. It's not a great movie, but it's definitely well made, and heartfelt.