It Had to Be You

A spoiler light review of It Had to Be You should begin with tone, because Sasha Gordon understands exactly how this comedy ought to feel. It Had to Be You gains early credibility from Cristin Milioti, whose presence is balanced by the different rhythm of Dan Soder. The foundation of It Had to Be You can be stated simply: Sonia, a neurotic and charming jingle writer, dreams of having an exciting life. Within its 1h 25m running time, It Had to Be You reveals both the benefits and the limits of that disciplined approach.

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It Had to Be You relies heavily on Cristin Milioti, and the performance responds with enough specificity to carry changes in mood. The contribution of Dan Soder gives It Had to Be You a useful counterweight instead of merely echoing the lead. Halley Feiffer makes the smaller exchanges in It Had to Be You count, often through timing rather than emphatic dialogue. Sasha Gordon understands that It Had to Be You becomes more persuasive when the cast can imply feelings before the script names them.

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The central idea running through It Had to Be You concerns embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. Cristin Milioti gives that idea a human scale, allowing It Had to Be You to remain accessible even when its world becomes larger. By returning to an important relationship, It Had to Be You turns theme into a source of pressure rather than a message waiting to be delivered. The handling by Sasha Gordon lets It Had to Be You leave a little interpretive room, which gives its better scenes an afterlife.

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The most useful technical choice in It Had to Be You is comic timing built around character, because it helps the audience understand both space and mood. It Had To Be You frames It Had to Be You through comic timing built around character without letting surface finish replace character. Drawing on its United States background, It Had to Be You uses well judged reactions to give familiar material a more specific texture. Cinematography, sound and editing meet effectively in It Had to Be You whenever a sequence must feel large without losing its human scale.

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It Had to Be You benefits from Sasha Gordon being alive in individual scenes and uncertain between them about what each sequence needs to accomplish. Instead of making every beat equally loud, Sasha Gordon lets It Had to Be You create contrast between pressure and release. The cast and craft keep the experience watchable throughout It Had to Be You, with the strongest decisions feeling connected to character rather than display. It is still fair to say that It Had to Be You suffers because too many scenes explain effects the actors have already suggested, but the problem remains contained.

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It Had to Be You is most involving when the screenplay allows Sonia to complicate what initially appears to be a story about the central character. That shift gives Cristin Milioti a more specific problem to carry through It Had to Be You. Working from material credited to Levi Abrino, It Had to Be You reveals an important relationship at a measured pace instead of rushing toward its largest turn. The later pressure around a difficult choice shows why It Had to Be You benefits whenever cause and consequence remain visibly connected.

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The lasting judgement on It Had to Be You is an uneven film with enough personality to remain interesting for comedy fans who respond to personality and timing. It Had to Be You earns that response through the focus of Cristin Milioti, the contribution of comic timing built around character and the direction of Sasha Gordon. It remains true that too many scenes explain effects the actors have already suggested during It Had to Be You, which keeps enthusiasm measured. Still, It Had to Be You understands the experience it wants to create and communicates that intention with recognisable personality.