Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Flighty Emily "Jacks" Jackson works for the British edition of Vogue magazine. Rather than pursue a relationship, Jacks regularly hooks up with her devoted ex-boyfriend, James Wildstone, and lives with Peter Simon, a gay screenwriter. When Jacks meets Argentinian photographer's assistant Paolo Sarmiento, she assumes he is gay and tries to bring him and Peter together, unaware that Paolo is straight and in love with her.
Love and Other Disasters is a breezy, lightweight romantic comedy set in the London fashion world that hits familiar genre beats without much surprise. The mistaken-identity premise (assuming Paolo is gay) is a well-worn comedic device, and the plot meanders through predictable misunderstandings before arriving at a telegraphed resolution. The acting is serviceable and charming — Brittany Murphy brings her usual bubbly energy and the supporting cast is likable — elevating the thin material. Cinematography is pleasant and captures London fashionably but without distinctive visual flair. Novelty is low; the film is essentially a glossy, by-the-numbers romcom with a gay-best-friend subplot that doesn't push boundaries. The ending is a conventional but satisfying genre wrap-up, competently executed if entirely expected.