The human race has always been obsessed with the erotic. From carvings on the walls of Pompeii to Fifty Shades of Grey, we’ve always been drawn to the sensual and sexy things. Romantic comedy Book of Love explores our relationships with love and all things erotic.
Directed by Analeine Cal y Mayor, Book of Love revolves around author Henry Copper who’s fledging romance novel The Sensible Heart is failing in the United Kingdom. Despite being about romance, the book is surprisingly without any eroticism or sex and sales are not great. Except for Mexico, where the book is a huge success. However, it turns out, his translator Maria has taken liberties with the Spanish version of the book – adding a lot of romps and sex. As Henry tours the country under this subterfuge, his time with Maria is about to undo his chastity way of thinking.
For a film that is about translating a sexless novel into a rampaging erotic one, and therefore, the importance of passion in love, Book of Love is surprisingly dry. Too dry. It’s an over-long movie that takes at least an hour for any sort of sparks to fly between the pair, and it’s a delicate hand stroke at best. The film spends an enormous amount of time doing nothing as Henry traipses across the country trying to sell the book, he, technically, didn’t write. The most interesting part of the film is when the pair are forced to write a sequel together but by then, you are already bored stiff with the humdrum events of the film.
Sam Claflin and Verónica Echegui do well together but there isn’t a lot of chemistry. That’s largely the fault of the script that offers very superficial tension and stakes in order to drive our two lovers together. There is hardly a spark or flame, and it doesn’t ooze with Henry’s ultimate sexual awakening – being a stuffy, boarding school chap who struggles to connect with any sensuality. (It’s an odd role for Claflin whose career making role as Finnick Odair oozed with immediate kinetic and erotic appeal.)
Book of Love is nearly two hours and feels overlong. For a movie that’s supposed to be a romcom, it has neither great romance nor great comedy. Nor is it very sexy.
