Rom-coms aren’t always known for being terribly sexy but San Francisco native Leah McKendrick changes all than it her Netflix valentine to San Francisco. The story is constructed around a love connection made when candid voicemails sent by a grieving San Francisco prep cook wind up in the ear of the wrong person — a cute guy in Austin. McKendrick’s film is at its best early on, as it catalogs the dating and sexual pratfalls of Jill (an incandescent Zoey Deutch) and real estate agent Wes (an adorable Nick Robinson) before the two physically meet.
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As director/writer/actor McKendrick did so well with her directorial debut “Scrambled,” her talent at illustrating how sex can be a laughing matter is a refreshing change of pace for the sometimes sex-less, buttoned-up rom-com genre. McKendrick is a strong writer, too, with a knack for creating messy characters we can’t help but like. And it doesn’t hurt that Deutch and Robinson are such likable actors. The contrivance itself though — that Wes is listening in on intimate phone messages that a devastated Jill is leaving for her recently departed sister (Ciara Bravo — sometimes comes across as forced — especially near the end. But let’s be real, most rom-coms suffer by overstraining their premise. But there’s much to like here — from the two leads, the numerous Bay Area shots (the Golden Gate Bridge should get a supporting actor credit), Nick Offerman as a pretentious, cruel chef and Lukas Gage as a clueless cretin love interest/coworker. The restaurant scenes, in particular, are “Working Girl” rewarding, and the liberating message of letting go of grief while holding on to its emotional foundation make this a rom-com to savor.
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Contact Randy Myers at [email protected].
‘VOICEMAILS FOR ISABELLE’
3 stars out of 4
Not rated
Starring: Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Harry Shum Jr., Lukas Gage, Nick Offerman
Writer/director: Leah McKendrick
Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes
When and where: Now available on Netflix
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