Lopez and Goldstein Fill a Few Policy Guideline Loopholes in “Office Romance” Lark

Plot holes meet policy guidelines in the watchable but barely credible romcom Office Romance (C), directed by Ol Parker, who gives his charming leads just enough trope to hang themselves. Brett Goldstein is both co-star and co-screenwriter, teamed with Jennifer Lopez as two executives maneuvering the mine fields of their airline company’s anti-fraternization rule despite immediate amorous attraction. This is the kind of movie in which any of the “meeting of the minds” obstacles could be solved with an email, so viewers will just need to suspend disbelief and enjoy the best qualities of the attractive leads endeavoring  to maintain their dignity while furtively schtupping in and around the HQ. Lopez’s character is hard-charging CEO of the family aviation business (Edward James Olmos briefly plays her father), and observant viewers will get a kick out of how poorly she portrays someone flying a plane and how inconsistently she gives off “dragon lady” vibes despite workplace denizens constantly cowering. Goldstein plays the company’s in-house lawyer rather shallowly and is best when he lets his freak fly with naughty language and throwaway asides. The chemistry between the leads is ok but certainly not off the charts, and thankfully the comedic sidekick Betty Gilpin is “serving” some droll bonbons to occupy the story’s awkward margins. Tony Hale and Bradley Whitford are both casualties in the slap-shot script, and it’s unclear what influence frequent Wes Anderson cinematographer Robert Yeoman had on the  saccharine, sanitized look of the film. Parker’s movie is a lark and ultimately reveals absolutely nothing about modern-day watercooler politics. It’s hard not to feast one’s eyes though on the luminous true movie star Jennifer Lopez, even in this vapid vehicle when she is (pun intended) not given much to work with. The film is best when it gets peculiar in wordplay or specific in its kinks, which isn’t too often. Anyone who signed up for a story in which the meet-cute involves a hard-on probably didn’t think they were mounting Hamlet and should report directly to HR.

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