This charming romantic comedy based on the book by Sophie Kinsella is an easygoing and enjoyable watch.
What makes Sophie Kinsella’s books such as Confessions of a Shopaholic so appealing is that the central character is always likeable and relatable – which is very much the case in this film adaptation of Can You Keep a Secret?
Marketing Assistant Emma is having a nightmare of day with a client meeting not going well and when she boards a flight to go home, she ends up blurting out her innermost secrets to a stranger. What she doesn’t realise is that the stranger is CEO Jack Harper – the boss of the company she works for.
Directed by Elise Duran, the film is charmingly funny with moments that will make you cringe – not in a bad way but just in a relatable way. It is consistently likeable in terms of its characters from the unlucky Emma, her mainly snobbish co-workers and of course the charming and mysterious Jack.
But the film’s main focus is on the developing relationship between the pair rather than giving extra depth and understanding as to why the characters are the way they are, making it feel slightly flimsy plot wise. Adapted by Peter Hutchings, it just feels as though the audience needs to understand further why Emma in particular is insecure about herself, with just a little more context and background the film could have felt more rounded.
This being said, the tone of the film is warm and immensely likeable with the central message of being true to yourself and being loved for yourself really shining through. The key moment in which Jack accidentally blurts out Emma’s secrets and her co-workers laugh at her is a really heartbreaking moment that everyone can relate to – the fear of being laughed at for being who you are is particularly painful and one that this writer can relate to.
The two central performances from Alexandra Daddario as Emma and Tyler Hoechlin as Jack are lovely to watch, with a lovely chemistry between them that makes the relationship between them feel believable even if it would have been nice to see their characters develop further individually. Elsewhere, there is also lovely support from Laverne Cox as the sharp tongued Cybill, Sunita Mani as Emma’s flatmate Lissy and David Ebert as Emma’s slightly dim boyfriend Connor.
While flawed itself, Can You Keep a Secret? really celebrates the flaws of being human and is completely relatable from start to finish. It is a lightly entertaining watch that will be enjoyed by Sophie Kinsella fans.
By Emma Clarendon
Can You Keep a Secret? is available to watch and download now.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐