“Maybe love is actually about the moments when you think no one is watching.”
Lara Jean
If P.S. I Love You was a misstep, Always and Forever is a pleasing return to endearing form. With the two sequels shot back-to-back, it suggests the middle entry’s story bears much of the blame. Life — and preparation for the future — proves to be far a more compelling foil to Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship than a romantic rival and petty jealousy. Stretching across their final year of high school, Always and Forever frequently feels like a series of time lapse vignettes rather than a structured story. The spectre of possible college separation looms over the couple, though it is often difficult to tell how far away it is. Fimognari throws in a few impressive cinematographical flourishes, like a Prom preparation scene where the girls are shot from behind, their faces seen only through reflections in small vanity mirrors as they converse. Less succesful is the overly stylised Prom itself, which finds the film rapidly running out of steam before returning to its emotional core.
7/10
To All the Boys trilogy: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before | To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You | To All the Boys: Always and Forever
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