The Last Letter From Your Lover Review

Based on a number by Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter From Your Lover was a romance film in the vein of a Nicholas Sparks adaptation.

Ellie Haworth (Felicity Jones) is a journalist who is assigned to write a story about the London Chronicle’s late women’s editor. Whilst researching the editor’s documents Ellie discovers a letter from the 1960s which tells of a love affair between Jennifer Stirling (Shailene Woodley) and Anthony O’Hare (Callum Turner). Ellie resolves to find more letters and find out what happened to Jennifer and Anthony.

The Last Letter From Your Lover had a duel narrative. The first focused on the love affair in the ‘60s. The second was about Ellie’s research and developing a relationship with Rory the archivist (Nabhaan Rizwan). It was two love stories for the price of one.

It was similar to films like The Notebook, Titanic, and Madonna’s W.E.. This shows the type of film The Last Letter From Your Lover is. It’s comfort cinema, the film equivalent to wearing a warm jumper whilst drinking a nice cup of tea. If that’s what the target audience wants that is fine. It is the kind of film people could watch together on TV (or cinemas in the UK and Ireland).

The Last Letter From Your Lover was a lavish production. It was evident with the ‘60s set scenes. The costumes were exquisite, and the classic cars should delight petrolheads. Jennifer was from a wealthy background, so the film emphasised the luxury she lived in. Jennifer met Anthony when she was staying in the French Rivera, so they got to go to fancy hotels and have meals at nice restaurants. In London, Jennifer had a big house with a library and a maid.

This idea of luxury gives The Last Letter From Your Lover a similarity to the previous Moyes adaptation, Me Before You. In Me Before You the characters go to events like horse racing, a classical concert, and a holiday to Mauritius. The Last Letter From Your Lover even has a scene similar to Me Before You where the main characters go on a boat.

The Last Letter From Your Lover was a forbidden love story. Jennifer would have to risk everything if she wanted to run off with Anthony. The film makes a point of the different standards of the ‘60s and the present day. Jennifer couldn’t divorce her husband because he held all the cards. Ellie could sleep with a random bloke without much consequence.

Felicity Jones could easily have had a thankless role where all her character did was read the letters. Fortunately, Jones had more to do because her character had a backstory. Ellie had a bad breakup which led to her not wanting a serious relationship again. After initial hostility between Ellie and Rory they do get drawn to each other. The complication comes when Ellie gets sucked up by work.

Woodley and Jones were playing two different types of women. Woodley’s Jennifer had to be a prim and proper ‘60s housewife. Despite her intelligence she had to be restrained. Jennifer’s relationship with Anthony allows her to live her life. Jones as Ellie was a lot more free-spirited. Her first scene was waking up in bed with a man she had a one-night stand with. She acts belligerent to Rory when he had to enforce the rules. Jones seemed like she was acting in a rom-com than a romantic drama. This did give Ellie some personality.

The Last Letter From Your Letter is a film that the target audience will be pleased with. It is a safe romance where people admire the glamour and maybe even have an occasional chuckle.