Because of Love: A Dusty, Forgettable Rom-Com Blast from the Past

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a weird itch for 1930s British studio sets and people talking really fast about nothing in particular. If you like your movies snappy and filled with genuine tension, skip this one. It's for the folks who find comfort in the rhythmic, repetitive patterns of old-school stage-to-screen adaptations.

The whole thing feels like a play that got lost on its way to a theater. Everyone is constantly walking through doorways just to deliver one line and then pivoting to leave again. It’s a bit exhausting to watch, honestly.

The vibe

There's this moment in the middle where Dorothy Boyd looks at the camera, or maybe just slightly past it, and you can practically see her thinking about her lunch plans. It’s delightfully human in a way the actual script isn't.

The dialogue moves at a clip that suggests everyone is late for a train. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Battle of the Sexes, though with significantly less bite.

• The furniture looks like it was borrowed from a hotel lobby that was closing down.
• I swear the same hallway shows up four different times.
• The lighting is either 'bright daylight' or 'we forgot to pay the electric bill'.

There's a scene involving a misunderstanding about a letter that goes on for about three minutes too long. You can literally feel the movie trying to squeeze drama out of a piece of paper that nobody actually cares about. It’s painfully quaint. 📽️

I found myself zoning out and just watching the way the actors held their cigarettes. Nobody holds a prop like a 1930s character actor. It’s almost an art form. Some of the extras in the background are clearly just waiting for the director to yell cut so they can finally sit down.

Is it a masterpiece?

Hardly. It’s barely even a coherent story. But it has that weird, grainy charm that makes you feel like you’re digging through a box of old photos in an attic. It doesn't have the inventiveness of Paris Lights, but it’s not trying to. It’s just… there.

If you enjoy watching people pretend to be upper-class while failing to hide their obvious exhaustion, this is the movie for you. Otherwise, maybe just watch some paint dry. It might have better pacing.

Just a note: The sound mixing is atrocious. Half the time the music swells up like a storm is coming, and then the dialogue drops to a whisper. It’s like a rollercoaster for your ears, and not in a fun way. 🙃