Your Place Or Mine (2023)
This rom-com suffers from poor writing, no romantic chemistry, and a boring plot.
What is Your Place Or Mine about?
Two long-distance friends swap homes and start to see their relationship in a different light.
Where can you watch Your Place Or Mine?
Netflix.
Trigger Warnings:
Mild language. Sexual innuendos. Peter and Debbie kiss and undress, but the scene fades to black.
My review of Your Place Or Mine
Please Note: This review contains spoilers.
I am not a big fan of rom-coms, but if they’re well-written, well-acted, and don’t take themselves too seriously, I enjoy them. This film was on my radar because A) it looked fun, and B) it starred Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher.
Unfortunately, Your Place Or Mine is a big disappointment.
The dialogue is stilted, exposition is everywhere, and Peter and Debbie’s “incredible friendship” is hard to believe when they have nothing in common. We’re also never told how they went from a one-night stand to best buddies, or why. Apparently, Debbie drove across the country to be with Peter when his mom died and when he got out of rehab (twice), but we see none of that. We must suspend disbelief that they’re best friends.
The plot is boring and lazy. There’s no romantic build-up to the finale, no tension, and no real conflict (Jack’s accident and Debbie’s betrayal of Peter’s trust are quickly brushed under the rug in the space of a scene).
Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher in Your Place Or Mine | from IMDB.com
The cast is forgettable. Reese Witherspoon overacts; one scene that sticks in my mind is when she’s walking down the street in New York City while pretending to chat with Ashton Kutcher on the phone and stares with laughably contrived wonderment as she tries to make sense of her surroundings. It’s painful to watch.
Meanwhile, Kutcher is miscast. He’s caught between being a marketing hot-shot, a failed writer, and an irresponsible man-child who plays guardian for his friend’s kid. Because none of those personas is fully realised, Kutcher is awkward and aimless as all of them.
I saw the red carpet photos. I wondered about the chemistry between the leads. Yikes, it’s bad. It doesn’t help that Witherspoon and Kutcher only share a scene three times in the whole movie, but even their phone conversations are insipid and forced. When they finally kiss at the end of the film, it’s so stiff you either want to look away or laugh because how on earth are we supposed to believe that they’re friends, let alone in love?
Wesley Kimmel and Reese Witherspoon in Your Place Or Mine | from IMDB.com
I also have major issues with Debbie and Peter’s characters. While the control freak and rich male douche stereotypes are nothing new, it’s obvious from the start that the writers want Debbie to be the better person:
Debbie has three men who love her and praise her virtues. Peter has never had a girlfriend for longer than a few months, and he’s kind of a douche to them anyway.
Peter has never felt good enough for Debbie, made mistakes that landed him in rehab twice, and is irresponsible and terrible with women.
Meanwhile, Debbie’s “flaws” are simply that she’s a control freak, hates change, puts other people first, wears too much denim (maybe), and sold her best friend’s book against his wishes (but actually launched his dream career, so all is forgiven).
Debbie may just be a saint. She’s definitely a martyr. She’s a single mom (as she reminds us at least twice), never puts herself first, desperately needs a holiday (as her friend reminds her), and chose a practical career instead of following her passion because she has to support her son. Are the writers deliberately shying away from giving her any real flaws or letting her make mistakes because she’s a woman and the guy must be the one to change to deserve her? That’s what it feels like. It’s unrealistic and kind of sexist.
Your Place Or Mine does not bring rom-coms back. It tells us they’re better off in the 90s.
Have you seen Your Place Or Mine? What did you think of it?