A charming romcom for the ages.
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Young Werther is a modern-day adaptation of the 1774 novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Written and directed by José Lourenço, the romantic comedy stars Douglas Booth, Alison Pill, Iris Apatow and Patrick J. Adams.
Young Werther follows the rise and fall of Werther (Booth)’s infatuation for Charlotte (Pill), whom he’s just met on a whim. What starts off as an innocent meet-cute soon becomes a tale of a desperate man in pursuit of a woman already betrothed.
Werther is a hopeless romantic but he’s also self-absorbed, creating a visible fine line that challenges viewers if they are for or against him in getting the girl. If not for Booth’s charm and impressionable performance, this would’ve likely been less enjoyable and more problematic for its lead’s stalker-y tendencies.
In Werther’s defense, he hadn’t known Charlotte was engaged when he was busy falling in love with her. Booth and Pill’s indelible chemistry makes it easy for us to root for their characters to get together. That is, until we meet Charlotte’s fiancé Albert (Adams), whose only flaw is that he doesn’t obsess over his fiancée the way Werther does. But unlike Werther, he is the better match for her. He isn’t unkind to Werther when he finds out of his harboured feelings for Charlotte, he’s a man with a career and responsibilities, and cares about more than just her (namely her younger siblings he helps her raise).
At times the film feels like a whimsical dream and Werther a Wonka-like character prancing through life but it’s really just Toronto and Werther an entitled rich boy. His eventual realisation of his narcissism pulls him down from the clouds and grounds the film with much needed realism of the consequences of his actions.
Young Werther is much less depressive than its source material, with its lighthearted approach and pleasant performances from its cast making for a delightful watch for romcom fans.
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