With what we have today in mind. Finding the perfect other half in a world full of selfies, dumb pick up lines, and swiping left feels taxing. Therefore, the prospect of finding your perfect mate by taking some simple ‘soulmate tests’ seems quite straightforward, although little cliché. In All of You, Bridges asks us to think what would happen if we had the capacity of selecting our partners and subsequently the potential repercussions of thinking that there exists a love greater than our selected matches. The film, All of You is interesting thanks in large part to stunning performances by Imogen Poots and Brett Goldstein, solid dialogue from the director and writer William Bridges, and once more, Goldstern who co-wrote the script. They crafted their work well, but in the end, it lacks clear stakes even though it is a romance-based film and thus, becomes challenging to watch and connect to. To add challenges, the poor sci-fi blend destroys the emotional arc which was full of potential and made for a great love story.
What Is ‘All of You’ About?
All of You introduces itself almost simultaneously with a sort of future that has already been designed within its premise. In this near future, people can take a simple eye exam of sorts to try and locate their soulmate. While it isn’t required, millions choose to go in search of their so-called soulmates, which makes Simon (Goldstein) uneasy after his best friend Laura (Poots) decides to do so. In the course of the next few seasons, time shifts to a point where Simon gets to see Laura lift her life with someone she is supposed to be soullinked to named Lukas (Steven Cree). In the meantime, Simon tries to find his own love in other women (Zawe Ashton and Jenna Coleman). Laura and Simon struggle with the consequences of their interwoven lives as Simon attempts to move on from Zawe and Jenna and both of them slowly begin to see their years of friendship as stronger than what it was.
Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots Are Wonderful in All of You
To begin with, it is safe to say that the two protagonists in All of you perform remarkably well. Although their on-screen characters take those highly absorbing and irritating decisions, Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots portray Simon’s unwavering commitment and Laura’s capricious’ to a believable extent. The film is at its best when Simon makes Laura laugh, and that is the most of the leads’ chemistry. Simon’s dry but funny moments and Laura’s laugh are among the cutest things throughout the film.
Poots’ portrayal of Laura is particularly impressive given that the character is a nightmare at times, but on the flip side, we are able to feel for her as she selfishly tears her life apart in her quest for love. Still, this makes clear one of the most infuriating puzzles of All of You’s narrative. The stakes in the story can only be interpreted through Laura’s character in relation to her internal conflicts. As a result, the further the picture goes, the more negative Laura appears because all the disturbance she suffers through is her own fault. Ending a marriage would naturally be quite painful in this shocking case, although quite complicated as well, given the presence of a young daughter (does anybody even know how old she is by the end of the film?). Anyway, it’s established that even after taking a soulmate test, divorce is extremely possible, which is what brings us back to the fact that Lukas’ indecision to leave her means that their daughter will be the one to suffer the most from the discontent between her parents.
The Vague Plot and Subpar Sci-fi Elements of ‘All of You’ Failed to Impress
His weakness becomes apparent as the film struggles to portray the whole idea of the soulmate test in All of You, which is quite baffling due to the fact that there isn’t any effort made to clarify it. Unless one considers female genitalia as some sort of an advertisement, we don’t know what it has to do with the soulmate test. We are told that all this is “scientifically” based, but how? Is it biological compatibility? One will argue that the whole science behind the soulmate test is not relevant to the narrative, we however should be concentrating on the various turns of events in the romance between Simon and Laura. When the sci-fi elements are explained so en perplexity that it risks the plot, why add them in the first place. The plot would be pretty unaffected if Laura had readily married Lukas just because he is a gentle and caring man, and then develops interest towards her male friend who she has known for a long time.
Moreover, it is known that the perception of love at first sight or a perfect partner does not need to be the norm. Everyone else who can afford to skip the test has no restrictions and can date as many people as they wish, so the so-called “soulmate test” does in fact serve to raise the film’s stakes. Similarly, the broadness of the soulmate test also makes it clear why the events within this film are set in some point in the not-so-distant future. The idea that one could use an eye test to determine compatibility would imply a lot of advanced technology Ben fails to incorporate for dramatic effect. None are depicted (or even discussed) onscreen, and the only indication of the movie\’s timeframe is thumbprint scanners and vehicle components. As William Bridges wrote supposedly for Black Mirror it is pretty clear that the talent and the enthusiasm for jumpy sci-fi is very much present. In fact, All of You would have been made much better if it were either full of gothic horror, like in Black Mirror or if it had never touched upon sci-fi.
In the end, All of You narrates a heartfelt drama about love and all its crazy contortions, albeit rather arbitrarily littering its narrative with conflicts. Still, Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots have really good chemistry together (even during the most cringe scenes of their characters), and William Bridges and Goldstein infuse the screenplay with unanticipated wit. Despite some gentle funny scenes and rather many allusions to MDMA, All of You should have favored its sci-fi perspectives a little more, but is still an enjoyable light viewing because of its great performances and engaging charm.
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