Netflix's yet another romantic drama is out, featuring Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest. Titled 'My Oxford Year', the film will remind you of several movies that you watched in the past.
From the point of view of an American girl who goes to Oxford for her MA in Victorian poetry but eventually falls in love with her professor, the film is interesting only until a certain point.
While the plot is not new for us, the chemistry definitely makes you want a positive ending for them. So, without wasting any time, let's dive deeper into the world of Anna de la Vega and Jamie Davenport.
My Oxford Year story
'My Oxford Year' begins with Anna, a girl belonging to a Spanish family, who lives in New York and moves out to Oxford to complete her childhood dream of smelling the bibliosmia of first editions, kept in the libraries in one of the oldest institutions of the world.
An institution that has always enticed Anna to get enlisted, earn a degree and then come back to New York for the job that was always in her kitty. But the girl who has planned it all moves to a country and meets a man who literally changes the course of her life. Anna meets Jamie, the professor who replaced her idol teacher, in a typical Hollywood way.
Later, the animosity ends, and just like the trailer hinted, the two get attracted and have fun. However, things turn serious pretty quickly as the fun goes out the window and emotions take over. Moreover, one of them, dealing with a deadly disease, does not help either. With the love of your life dying, there's not much one could do. But with an end that is set to doom, you give it all and try to hold on to each moment and live it for eternity. Well, that is what 'My Oxford Year' tells us.
Writing and Direction
My Oxford Year is yet another cliché Hollywood film, which tells the story of eternal love that goes beyond the realms of this world. Just like the novel, the film also offers nothing interesting to remember forever. While we have seen several such films like 'The Fault in Our Stars', 'Me Before You', 'It's Kind of a Funny Story', 'Now Is Good' or 'Paper Towns', 'My Oxford Year' lacks depth. After a point, it makes you feel nothing. Writer Allison Burnett and director Iain Morris both should be held responsible for making the film look even more average with their execution. And probably that's why they opted for an OTT release rather than a theatrical one. Neither the concept nor the presentation entices you.
Another big problem with My Oxford Year is the below-average shift in its tonality. The fact that there was a big reveal hidden; the makers opted for an ineffective disclosure through a random conversation. Moreover, the saturation of their poetic talks also stops hitting you after a point.
The scenes shot on the Oxford campus are beautiful to watch. The cinematography of the love-making scenes is also good. Moreover, Anna's visit to all the places listed by Jamie is shot brilliantly. But the music of the film does not elevate any scene. Moreover, the philosophical catchphrases can make you lose interest. A 2-hour runtime can feel like more, only because of the substandard writing.
Acting
Sofia Carson as Anna De La Vega is beautiful, headstrong and confident, but we have seen Carson in such roles more than enough. There's nothing new that the actress offers in 'My Oxford Year'. Corey Mylchreest, on the other hand, as Jamie Davenport, will remind you a lot of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. He has the same expression and more or less the same tonality of dialogue; just the wardrobe differs. But his pleasing smile in pain does serve the cause. The cast of 'My Oxford Year', who will really provide you solace, are Dougray Scott, Poppy Gilbert and Harry Trevaldwyn. All three are so rooted in their characters that they make you feel for their dilemma and happiness, so much so that you vouch for a happy ending just for them, despite all that has been said and done.
Verdict
Yes! 'My Oxford Year' offers nothing new, but you wouldn't mind giving it a try, only because it is presented beautifully.
The Oxford shots, the chemistry between the lead actors and the emotional quotient somehow hold up the film. However, you may not weep while you watch this heartbreaking love story that is complete in an incomplete way. It won't make you sob or bawl your eyes out. Disappointing, right? Especially after it comes from the makers of 'The Fault in Our Stars'.
