Squared Love

Romcom fans will most likely enjoy this movie even if there's some serious suspension of disbelief involved. While the actors here are charming, the movie's basic premise -- that a beautiful woman will be totally unrecognizable if she wears blue contact lenses and dons a curly wig -- is utterly preposterous. That doesn't mean Squared Love isn't entertaining, but it starts with the need to accept a huge, faulty premise -- that people who see each other every day don't recognize each other's voices, walks, body language, and teeth.

The nonsense doesn't end there. An extortionist who threatens to expose someone's secret unless she pays $10,000 exposes that secret anyway, thereby destroying his leverage, not usually the best strategy for criminal enterprises. Also, the idea that women go for cocky and self absorbed cheaters feels a bit misogynist. And a useless side story pits dedicated teacher Monika against a principal who hates her unorthodox methods and whose repetitive appearances throughout only serve to remind her and the audience that he'll fire her the moment national test results prove she's a bad teacher. It feels obvious that her class will score high, vindicate her methods, and show the principal to be a hypocrite. It's all very predictable, so one's enjoyment hinges on whether that's a positive thing or not.