Naughty But Nice: Anne Hathaway Steams Up the Screen in “The Idea of You”
The pages have been burning up with anticipation for the scandalous new romantic comedy “The Idea of You”, starring Anne Hathaway as a 40-something art gallery owner who finds herself swept into a torrid love affair with a smoldering young pop star, played by British newcomer Nicholas Galitzine. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, the film brings Robinne Lee’s audacious 2017 novel to vivid life on the screen.
While the novel was often dubbed “MILF fiction” for its deliciously taboo older woman/younger man premise, director Michael Showalter’s adaptation leans into the pure romantic fantasy at the story’s core. At its heart, “The Idea of You” is a modern fairy tale about a sophisticated, divorced mother who reawakens to desire and self-discovery through a improbable Coachella fling with a gorgeous, sensitive boy band idol.
“I was instantly seduced by the empowering message of Robinne’s book,” reveals Hathaway. “So often older women are shamed for exploring their sexuality outside society’s rigid boundaries. But Solène owns her attraction to Hayes completely, without apology.”
Indeed, the film revels in the giddy thrill of Solène’s unexpected connection with Hayes Campbell, the 24-year-old frontman of the hugely popular band August Moon. Galitzine smolders as the tattooed, brooding heartthrob who sees beyond Solène’s chic middle-aged exterior to the vital, passionate woman within.
“Hayes isn’t some naive boy toy—he’s a true romantic who has outgrown the manufactured world of bubblegum pop,” Galitzine explains. “With Solène, he’s met his intellectual and spiritual match.”
The film indulges in a rapturous fantasy depicting their soapy, secret trysts at hotel rooms and recording studios, all while the oblivious paparazzi chases after Hayes and his Instagram-famous girlfriend. But “The Idea of You” has remarkable depth beneath its adrenaline-pumping exterior.
“At its core, this is a powerful story about a woman re-claiming her identity and self-worth after being rejected for younger arm candy,” Hathaway states. “Solène blossoms into the deepest, truest version of herself by dropping her shame and giving into desire on her own terms.”
With its potent mix of emotional insight, steamy romance, and pure escapist fantasy, “The Idea of You” is sure to set pulses racing among its viewers. A fresh, female-centered spin on the classic cougar narrative, it’s the ultimate hot summer watch.
