Thats certainly the case here in the office.
Some staffers loved it (hi, hello), while others were disappointed or, worse, bored.
The three leads are the anchors in a very convoluted, very sweaty love triangle, which spans decades.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures
Literally no one is doing it like she is.
Stephanie McNeal, senior editor:Can I ask a question just to start off?
I want to knowwithout knowing how people felt about the moviewhich boy they like.
Niko Tavernise
Sam Reed, senior entertainment editor:Oh,Josh OConnor, 100%.
Stephanie:Oh my God.
I was such aMike Faistgirl.
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Its not even funny.
Jake Smith, commerce editor:I agree with you.
Anna Moeslein, deputy editor:I think its a Fuck, Marry, Kill.
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You fuck Josh OConnor and marry Mike, right?
Ariana Yaptangco, senior beauty editor: Thats what she did, ultimately.
That really is what she did.
Jake:She killed tennis.
Anna:I mean, Josh OConnor is not a…
Sam:Sex symbol?
Anna:Are we talking about the actors or the characters?
Sam:Were talking about the characters.
His character is definitely not sustainable [for a relationship].
Jake: Hes a fling.
Niko Tavernise / Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures
Hes so hot, though.
Anna:He should always play scum bag.
Ariana:I know.
Jake:Hes sleeze.
Can we talk about how Mike Faist is American and how weird that is?
Sam:Mike Faist is American?
Stephanie:Oh yeah.
Hes a theater guy.
He originated the role of Connor inDear Evan Hansen.
Jake:Josh OConnor, sure.
Hes a British man, but Mike Faist looks so European to me.
Sam:In my head I was like, Wow, theyre doing okay with these American accents.
Jake:My mind was blown.
Anastasia Sanger, senior manager, social creative development:I was just surprised he wasnt actually a redhead.
Ariana:He was inWest Side Story.
Stephanie:My truth is that I like a skinny guy.
Sam:Theyre both skinny.
Stephanie:No, but I like a skinny soft boy.
Every guy Ive ever dated is like that.
Sam:Hes just too blonde.
Anna:Youre going off looks; Im going off of personality.
Sam:Drag me, Anna.
Stephanie:Im going off of life.
Ill be like, Oh, I really like this super-hot guy.
And then in real life, Im dating guys who weigh 120 pounds.
Stephanie:But does she actually love him?
Jake:No, she loves tennis.
Anna:Its a tale as old as time.
ItsTaylor Swift and Matty HealyandJoe Alwyn.
Sam:Oh, I said it wasAidenandMr.
Its the Aiden and Mr. Big conundrum.
Straight women have been dealing with this for centuries.
Ariana:I just wish they wouldve gone for it.
I thought it was a little bland.
They marketed it withS&Mby Rihanna and there was no na na nah, come on.
Anna:Give us the threesome!
Don’t tease the threesome and then not deliver.
Ariana:The boys are so compelling.
Stephanie:Well, its definitely their movie.
Ariana:But its her movie!
It was marketed [as her movie].
That’s why I didnt like it, because shes the star.
This is Zendayas movie, but she takes a backseat to the two guys.
I feel like the marketing was one way, and then the film was something different.
Ive been trying to reconcile the two a little bit.
Sam:You had certain expectations.
Ariana:I thought I was going into a specific movie and then I got a different movie.
So I dont know if thats maybe me being confused.
But on a movie thats marketed so heavily about the sex, there was no sex.
Jake:I had enough nudity, to be honest.
Its a movie about a male friendship.
So it didnt bother me.
I mean, yeah, obviously theyre going to market Zendaya because shes the biggest actress ever.
Anna:If its about the two guys, at least make it more gay.
Stephanie:I thought it was pretty gay.
Sam:It was very homoerotic.
Jake:I think its low-key so gay.
And so I think that it might low-key have been [gay enough].
Theres dicks out in the steam room, so yeah.
All sides should touch.
And [Kuritzkes] is like, Yeah, their lives are woven together.
Lucas like, no: All sides should touch.
Anastasia:I think it was them working together, and Luca probably wanted more [physical intimacy].
Because hes married to [Past Livesscreenwriter] Celine Song, famously.
BetweenPast Livesand this…
Stephanie:Hes, I think, annoyed about it.
He says he wont talk about her at all interviews.
Jake:Then dont write two threesome movies.
You know what I mean?
Or two love-triangle movies.
Anastasia:I lovedPast Lives.
Anna:Thats a good movie.
Serena Williams instantly made the connection.
My boyfriend and I were both like, ha-ha-ha.
Sam:I was hooting.
I was like, The peaches!!
Anna: I loved the music.
Jake:That worked for me.
I heard people complaining that it was too loud.
Ariana:It was really loud!
I was like, My ears!
Anastasia:When you have Trent Reznor, youve got to use him.
Sam:It was almost competing with the dialogue at certain points.
Ariana:The dialogues not important.
Anna:To be fair, it wasnt the most riveting dialogue.
Sam:Did anyone notice that Zendaya was carrying the Loewe bag?
Jake:I didnt notice that, but I did notice her bling.
Anastasia:I was like, Thats a $10,000 bracelet.
Sam:The Cartier one?
Sam:Right next to her Lilly friendship bracelet for her daughter.
Jake:And she had the Augustinus Bader.
Ariana:She held it up to the camera!
And then they show her putting it on.
I was like, Huh.
Jake:I love that it was alongside, like, Dunkin Donuts, though.
That felt so accurate.
Adidas, Applebees, Nike, Champion.
There were so many.
Jake:So many!
But it felt real.
It felt like real life, which I appreciated.
Stephanie:I think [Guadagnino] was trying to make a commentary on class.
I loved the disconnect, the difference between Mike Faist and then Josh OConnor looking all poor.
Also, he was rich.
That was an interesting twist.
His family was rich.
Jake:That was interesting.
I thought that was interesting.
There was a real racial and class dynamic at play that was only hinted at.
Sam:It was subtle.
Can we talk about the banana?
And also, the churro scene.
The phallic imageryand that was the same scene where they were sitting on the stools.
I died at the stool pull.
I actually hooted at the screen when he pulled the stool closer to him, the choreography.
I really want to know the story behind that.
Ariana:I wanted them to kiss.
Why are you guys feeding each other?
Stephanie:Thats because youre so deep inA Court of Thorn and Roses.Youre like, Give me more.
Anastasia:Were all perverts.
Im putting my time and money into this.
Sam:I have to say, I wasnt disappointed when I was watching it.
There were so many thirsty, sweaty slow-mo scenes.
Jake:So much sweat.
Ariana:I thought the film was entirely too long, though.
Anna:Oh my God, way too long.
They could have cut 20 minutes easily.
But every movie that comes out these days is 20 minutes too long.
Jake:I luxuriated.
Sam:Me too!
Ariana:I thought a lot of the slow-mo was, to me, not necessary.
It was a little…
Sam:Too indulgent?
Sam:Those scenes were for me.
Jake:The one scene that was gratuitously long was the I fucked your wife scene.
But that was fun.
Sam:I loved it.
Can we talk about the T-shirts?
Anna:I noticed that she was wearing the white T-shirt later.
Jake:There was a button-down that they swapped too.
Anna:Isnt that what she wears to go fuck him?
Its the same white T-shirt.
Jake:And then of course, the I Told Ya shirt.
Anna:Which, excellent job, Zendaya, on the promo tour.
Shewore it on the streets.
Jake:And you might buy it at Loewe for $300.
Sam:Get that bag, Jonathan Anderson.
I didnt know he did the costumes until later than I should have.
Jake:It is funny.
Of course shes carrying a Loewe bag.
Anna:I think that Zendayas strongest acting in the movie was the college-years portion.
I thought that was the most effective.
I had trouble believing her as a mom in the older scenes.
Ariana:I was about to say, did you guys buy her as a mom?
And I dont know why because shes almost 30.
Anna:The styling was good.
Anna:I thought the teen and the college versions of her character were really effective.
I just see Zendaya, not a mom.
Anna:She is such a personality.
Whereas the guys…Im not following Josh OConnors every move, so he can be the character more.
Stephanie:But also, they didnt really develop her as a mom.
Anna:The daughters always just off with grandma.
Ariana:Did you guys know she had a daughter going into the movie?
I was like, Whoa, shes got a daughter!?
I think the daughter might be Patricks baby.
Stephanie:Was the daughter eight?
Sam:I dont know.
Im not good with ages.
Jake:She had about one minute of screen time, if that.
Stephanie:I wanted to know about Zendayas family life.
Her mom seems nice, but clearly all athletes on that level have a screw loose.
But whats her story?
Why is she so weird and obsessed with tennis?
Sam:I think shes just really competitive.
Thats what I took from it.
She wants to be the best, whether shes coaching her husband or whether shes coaching Patrick.
Stephanie:Yeah, definitely.
Sam:I dont think she knows how to be a functioning human [without tennis].
She doesnt know how to view herself, if not the best at tennis.
Also, great line, at 31, you have a better shot with a handgun in your mouth.
I thought that was hilarious.
Jake:And then she turns around and fucks him that night.
Can I add one more piece of evidence to the gay theorythat it was gay enough?
Hailey Benton Gates plays the Tinder girl that he meets in the hotel, and shes a gay icon.
Shes a woman about town.
Shes a model and all that.
Sam:I did think they had her styled kind of funny for a Tinder date.
Stephanie:Super weird.
Jake:Can we talk about the styling in the movie?
Because those Chanel shoes.
Sam:Oh my God, they were so obvious.
Stephanie:Shes doing quiet luxury, kind of.
Sam:She can afford it but she doesnt have style.
It was a little much.
Jake:To me it was offensive.
I did see it and know who this character is, so I appreciated that.
Sam:It goes with her hair.
Stephanie:I really didnt like her hair at all.
Sam:The bob?
Jake:I thought the bob was cute.
Stephanie:I liked her hair when she was post-college, first making out with Art.
Sam:Kind of like swingy and shoulder-length.
Sam:Also…Does he have an eight-pack in the sauna scene?
Jake:Oh, I think so.
Sam:It was wild.
Stephanie:Whose boy?
Stephanie:Hes just like…you know his bathroom is so dirty.
Sam:Like him as a character?
You know what I mean?
Anastasia:And pubes.
Sam:Oh my God.
Anna:Sams like mmm.
Anastasia:How do you think they did the wind?
Ive been thinking about it for so long.
Thats a lot of fans.
Jake:There were a lot of flyers or newspapers or something blowing around New Rochelle that night.
Sam:I was picturing big fans and theyre just throwing trash in front of it.
Was that filmed in a studio?
Jake:It must have been.
It definitely had to have been a studio.
There will be a weather event to mark a change.
It felt a little on the nose for me.
Stephanie:I liked that.
You could hear how it sounded like real wind sounds.
I think that is so funny that she did that.
Sam:Did we notice that there was a Spanish-language song?
Jake:I will say this.
Like, I understand why they would all stay in each others orbit.
I felt bad for them that they couldnt break out of it, but theyre all so beautiful.
Stephanie:I dont really get why Art and Patrick stopped being friends.
I guess just because loyalty to her?
I assumed it was a growing apart.
Stephanie:Poor boys, they just need to be friends.
Jake:Or more.
Sam:I could see why Zendaya would be attracted to Patrick, because she also seemed very regimented.
When he was like, Ph, I smoke, and she was like, I dont smoke.
She probably sees a lot of herself in Art, but wants to be more like Patrick.
Anna:Shes probably envious of Patricks natural abilities.
Sam:Thoughts on the ending?
Jake:Oh, I think that was their threesome and I loved it.
Sam:Throuple!!
Stephanie:They should just let [Patrick] move in.
He can raise Lilly.
Jake:I appreciate that they all got what they needed.
The boys are reunited.
She gets to watch a great game of tennis.
Sam:Art won, right?
Jake:Isnt it true that he didnt win though?
It was the winning serve, and then they collide.
Anastasia:I think people arent sure whether it counts.
He touches the net.
Sam:Ooh, I dont know the rules of tennis well enough!
Stephanie:The director said he wanted it to be ambiguous on purpose.
Jake:It doesnt matter who wins.
Neither one will ever be enough for Zendaya.
Sam:They embrace to become the perfect man for her.
Jake:Its true.
They could just combine into that with a bit of therapy too.
