Review of 'Books & Drinks': A refreshing shot of literary romantic spirit

Books & Drinks: A refreshing shot of literary romantic spirit 

Cast: Jackson Rathbone, Clara Lago, Hector Anibal, Carol Halstead, Nashla Bogaert, David Maler, Katherine Montes, Luis Jose German, Andres Curbelo, Yasser Michelen, Ruairi Rhodes

Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Director: Geoffrey Cowper

Duration: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

Language: English, Spanish

Release: 2024

What’s it about?

A struggling New York City resident who comes into some wealth, embarks on a journey of discovery in the Dominican Republic. 

Review:

Here is a welcome new entry to the romantic comedy genre and for the most part, a delight to the senses. Though the story may be a little predictable, it is told with verve and flair while the premise is set up well enough to engage the audience from the get-go. Likeable and relatable characters, absorbing scenery, engaging dialogue and poignant plot points serve as sumptuous embellishments. Even those who are bored or cynical about rom-coms may sense the onset of that gooey feeling while finding themselves enjoying this flick’s slightly languid pacing.

Books & Drinks opens at a New York City book store whose owner David Weiss (Jackson Rathbone) feels the sting of sluggish business. He’s not even amenable to an idea by his co-worker Michael (David Maler) to revolutionise the space with a tempting new feature. A visit from David’s mother Clara (Carol Halstead) brings a dramatic change in fortune with life-altering news. It turns out that David’s father Jessie Brewster whom he thought had died before his birth, has actually only recently bitten the dust. Moreover, he’s bequeathed to his only progeny a luxury mansion in the Dominican Republic. 

Desperate for the big money from the sale of the house, David assures his fiancée Rachel (Clara Lago) that he will close the deal quickly and return with the mullah. However, on arriving at the Caribbean location, he is mesmerised by the sprawling abode and the picturesque town alongside it. Also, in the course of interacting with the housekeeper Laura (Katherine Montes) and the cook Pablo (Luis Jose German) as well as the assigned realtor Maria (Nashla Bogaert) and her bar-owning boyfriend Alejandro (Hector Anibal), David begins to learn about the father he never knew. He is intrigued by how these folks admired and revered his father even though the old man's habits were somewhat dubious.

While the effervescent Maria slowly and shrewdly negotiates to get David the best price for the house, the two find themselves developing an innocent fondness for each other. The situation gets complicated when Rachel unexpectedly shows up and is keen for a quick closure of the transaction so that she and David can resume their life in NYC. But loyalties and affections shift while David uncovers his dad’s history and confronts his mother about the familial lie. The movie heads for a somewhat expected denouement, although it is peppered with a couple of surprises.

The jarring revelations about a relative might remind film buffs of such movies by Alexander Payne as the Descendents (2011) and Nebraska (2013). But what accords this film a space of its own is the stunning cinematography and the opposing nature of the two main lady characters, needless to say Bogaert and Lago vie at stealing every scene they are in. The servings of exotic liquor and tongue-tingling dishes add to the texture of the film’s “experience”. Director Geoffrey Cowper does a commendable job at realising Josep Ciutat’s fairly funny and occasionally deep script. Thanks to all the efforts involved, viewers are not only in for quirky romance, but a picture postcard of the Dominic Republic as well. You don’t need to pack your bags to enjoy this escape.