Based on Jojo Moyes’s novel of the same name and directed by Augustine Frizzell, the recent Netflix release “The Last Letter from Your Lover” is a predictable yet earnest love letter to the traditional love story. As a whole, the film doesn’t particularly offer anything new to the romance genre. It follows a similar structure and narrative elements laid out by its predecessors like “The Notebook” and “An Affair to Remember.” During its more insightful moments, however, “The Last Letter from Your Lover” is a celebration of these tropes and an intimate tribute to the power of storytelling.
The film begins with the life of neglected housewife Jennifer (Shailene Woodley) and her illicit love affair with Anthony O’Hare (Callum Turner) in the 1960s. It then juxtaposes this forbidden romance with modern-day journalist Ellie (Felicity Jones) discovering its existence through love letters alongside archivist Rory (Nabhaan Rizwan), whom she eventually falls for.
Early on, it is revealed that Jennifer experienced a tragic car accident and consequently lost her memory of Anthony. The rest of the film follows Jennifer’s journey piecing together what happened in her past, using the same love letters that Ellie discovers in the present. The interactions between Ellie and Rory as they research Jennifer and Anthony’s relationship tie the thread between Ellie and Jennifer. In that aspect, there’s a wonderfully self-referential awareness in watching the film.
The audience witnesses Jennifer’s love story through Ellie’s eyes, but the time jumps never feel particularly confusing or out-of-the-blue. Rather, they neatly intersect and coincide when necessary. As the two women connect across decades, Ellie develops a burgeoning love story of her own with Rory.
From the rosy landscapes of the French Riviera to the busy streets of London, the settings and costumes are richly evocative and set the mood for the two parallel storylines.
In terms of the actual love affair, the way the relationship between Jennifer and Anthony plays out on-screen appears very one-dimensional. It develops abruptly, relegating its weak development to steamy, sensual scenes that feel bland and contrived. Occasionally, it feels as if these scenes are only conforming to an idea of what a “forbidden romance” should look like. The story doesn’t really flesh out the emotional attraction between these two characters. Because there is such a strong focus on the spectacle of the characters’ “love” for each other, that unfortunately leads to a lack of investment in Jennifer or Anthony’s identities as individuals.
Jennifer’s memory loss aspect also rings bells as a familiar cliché to romance-lovers. Rather than advancing the narrative, it becomes a frustrating plot device to contribute to a conflict that doesn’t quite deliver. More scenes are spent on emphasizing Jennifer’s domestic angst than the stakes of her regaining her memory.
The filmmakers don’t spend as much time on Ellie’s romance, which might be a strategic decision to focus on Jennifer’s letters and storyline. When they do, it’s somewhat artificial, as if Ellie’s relationship with Rory can only mirror Jennifer’s as a complement. Felicity Jones shines in her performance as strong-willed and sarcastic Ellie, but even she can’t save the staleness of a forced relationship between Ellie and Rory. The two characters don’t have much sizzle or substance as a couple, getting thrown together arbitrarily as if they have to become lovers to be meaningful. Each storyline doesn’t quite work by itself. Together, however, there’s a subtle message to be found about the universality of love across time and generations.
Given this, the film should be valued more thematically as a reflection on love and loneliness. Jennifer seeks to be a companion more than her husband’s “object,” while Ellie searches for meaning in her life. Love in this case becomes a response to loneliness, a means of crafting connection in spaces where it doesn’t exist.
“The Last Letter from Your Lover” doesn’t quite deliver a fresh or surprising message, but it does have heart. In that sense, the letters become more than just letters. They are stories about loving — and loving what it means to love.