Roos' direction is competent, but, in order to attract a wide audience and appease the people holding the money pouch, he has turned in a conventional motion picture. No, provided your expectations are properly calibrated. As Abby, Paltrow tones down the glamour and beauty, making her look more like the single mother than the muse who inspired Shakespeare. Together, these two click, exuding the on-screen chemistry that is vital to the success of a movie like this. We like these two and want them to be together.
Effective romances are difficult to craft.
They must be sentimental and endearing without going overboard. Low-key love stories run the risk of coming across as cold and unemotional. Conversely, going too far in the other direction can result in a cloying, mawkish production. Roos has landed safely on the middle ground. He gives us characters worth caring about and a situation we can feel comfortable with.