Critic Reviews

Sweary, a bit lairy, occasionally teary, this isn’t the romcom of anyone’s dreams. But for a fun and frivolous evening on the sofa, Office Romance’s charms are undeniable.

Directed by Ol Parker (“Ticket to Paradise”), the film can’t escape all of the usual genre tropes or overt sentimentality, yet that's tempered by a bawdy sense of humor and fits of wild broad comedy.

The filmmakers, and co-writer, producer, and star Brett Goldstein in particular, clearly have a sense of what it is that makes studio rom-coms so appealing, and they've built this one to actually deliver on it. It's a little shaggy, perhaps, and I inevitably found myself missing the shot-on-film glow that did so much for the movies of that bygone era. But I can't really complain. My default state watching Office Romance was a giddy smile.

While the film follows a standard rom-com format, the real fun lies in a never-ending funhouse of delightfully unhinged supporting actors.

In a genre where differences between most stories come down to small details, the film is a reminder that even seemingly worn-out formulas can work when they’re well executed—and that a seasoned pilot at the helm can make the journey especially enjoyable.

It sinks into its star power as one would into a warm bath, and if the appealingly scrappy Goldstein doesn’t match that voltage, that’s largely the point.

The truth is, you don’t even have to like Lopez to enjoy Office Romance, which breezes along on a current of enjoyable gags and reasonably lively banter.

This Netflix movie actually rises above most of the herd, thanks largely to co-writer and co-star Brett Goldstein.

The most compelling thing about Office Romance, which would be as formulaic as it gets if not for its admirably deep bench of deranged supporting characters, is that it gives Lopez the chance to publicly negotiate between the extremes of her own screen image — to explore the frustrations of being a self-possessed woman who has to shrink herself down in order to maintain her power.

Office Romance is wonderfully cast down to the cameos but so filled with bits and pieces aiming to amuse that almost from the get-go, it feels artificial enough to remind us that we’re watching a movie that’s trying hard to please.