Plan A Plan B
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Formulaic romcom filled with clichés; language, drinking.
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Plan A Plan B
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What's the Story?
In PLAN A PLAN B, Nirali (Tamannaah Bhatia), a psychologist hanging out her shingle as a science-driven matchmaker, moves into a shared office space next door to her instant enemy, Kosty (Riteish Deshmukh), a divorce lawyer who gleefully separates people from the source of their unhappiness. She wants to bring joy to lonely people. He claims the joy comes when he releases unhappy people from their unions. Why marry when hookup apps just let you "do it," he asks. If you knew that three-quarters of all parachutes will fail, he goes on, would you go skydiving? Soon the two are engaged in open warfare, insulting each other to the amusement of office mates. Kosty seems to be an oblivious bon vivant who likes to drink and dance until he passes out on his married best friend's sofa. But his character turns around completely to the degree that Nirali's mother wants him for Nirali, even though he has an estranged wife whom he refuses to divorce. Will their hate turn to love?
Is It Any Good?
In Mediocre Romantic Comedy Land, the believability of the outcome of Plan A Plan B depends entirely on our willingness to accept that a smug, superior, controlling jerk is also a really lovely guy. Supposedly he has high moral standards and a soft spot for aging widows. But little in the movie supports that premise. Initially, when Nirali, who has given up on love, meets Kosty, nothing about their interaction predicts she'll find something to love in the jerk, except that that's the outcome written into the rules of romantic comedy. A few clever lines dispersed throughout don't make up for a complete abdication of character-building in this weak script. Why, for instance, won't Kosty give his estranged wife a divorce? He is, after all, a divorce attorney! But, hey, it's Mediocre Romantic Comedy Land.
We've all seen this movie before. Someone tries (not that hard) to tell Kosty that the person he's viciously badmouthing is standing right behind him, but he keeps spewing the vitriol. He finally realizes Nirali has heard his entire tirade against her and, although nothing in his personality has so far suggested he would care, for some inexplicable reason he feels bad. He's been saying equally hurtful things right to her face and Nirali hasn't flinched. Now, equally inexplicably, she is in tears. Of course she is. It's a Mediocre Romantic Comedy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how this film adheres to the formula for a romantic comedy. Does it detract from the movie's watchability when you know from the start that two people who hate each other will end up together in the end? Why, or why not?
Do you think people who hate each other from the start can actually completely about-face their feelings and commit to a successful relationship? Why, or why not?
How does this compare to other romantic comedies you've seen?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 29, 2022
- Cast: Tamannaah Bhatia , Riteish Deshmukh
- Director: Shashanka Ghosh
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Romance
- Run time: 105 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: May 14, 2023
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