BOOK OF LOVE

UK/Mexico, 2022, 106 minutes, Colour.

Sam Claflin, Veronica Echequi, Fernando Bercerill, Ruy Gaytan, Horacio Villalobos, Horacio Garcia Rojas, Lucy Punch.

Directed by Anileine y Mayor.

What would happen if a serious novel about love, rather abstract and philosophical, not selling at all in the UK, was translated into Spanish and reached the Mexican bestseller list? It’s ominous title is The Sensible Heart. We would want to know why – and, the answer is that the translator spiced it up (understatement) and omitted the boring parts! And what would happen to the serious novelist on discovering what had happened – and being sent by the publishers on a Mexican tour?

And the answers to these questions are what we see and sharing.

The basic premise is rather obvious and predictable – and, rather one-note. However, the screenplay unfolds in a way that perhaps we might have written that had we been commissioned. Which means that we probably like it. It is lighthearted – lightheaded. It is an amusement not to be taken too seriously.

Sam Claflin plays the hapless novelist, Henry Copper (always confused with Cooper). He has taken some years to write his novel, rather introspective, the theories of love in his head rather than from experience. No wonder the few people at his novel reading walk out and the booksellers “get three when you buy one”!

Henry is rather overwhelmed by Jen, the ultra-exuberant opportunist publicist, played with verve by Lucy Punch.

So, off to Mexico and who knows what! He is whisked from the airport by the translator, Maria (Veronica Echequi), her grandfather and her little son, chaperones for her travel. (She actually has a husband who is hopeless, turns up now and again, jealous of her.) And, almost immediately, Henry is whisked again to press conference with absolutely adoring fans, men and women.

(This reviewer happened to see Lady Boss, the Jackie Collins Story at the same time as Book of Love – some remarkably similar sequences and experiences, fans, TV interviews, the high life, except that this is all that Jackie Collins wrote and hoped for!).

We know was where this is all going, especially if we were to write it ourselves. Henry will mellow. Maria will be always in charge, dominating Henry. They will be urged to write another novel together which leads to clashes, interventions by Maria’s husband, Henry disappointed. But, a nice ending with her son. There will also be a sequence where they walk and talk together, being honest with each other, she challenging about his isolation and inexperience, he succumbing in love.

Of course there is a happy ending (absurd to think otherwise!), Maria’s husband makes a fool of himself intervening at a press conference, Maria comes to the rescue with translating again as Henry returns to Mexico.

What happens, he explains the fans, is that Maria in re-writing novel “re-wrote his life. It could be called The Emotionalisation of Henry Copper.

1. The title? The Sensible Heart? The second book, Double Hearts?
2. The London settings, the views of London, Henry’s flat, the publisher’s offices, streets and surroundings? The musical score?
3. The Mexican settings, the cities, the vistas, the countryside, travelling, the range of countrysides?
4. Henry Copper, his novel, taking years to write, the reading, people leaving, summoned by the publisher, her enthusiasm, the information about the Mexican translation, bestseller, the plan for him to go to Mexico?
5. The flight, Henry arriving in Mexico, Maria and her son and her grandfather, his seeing the cover of the book, lurid? The big poster? His being bewildered?
6. The meeting, the fans, the enthusiasm, with the books, the implications of the sexy novel? The questions, Maria translating, the reaction of the fans? Her bluntness, leaving, his bewilderment?
7. Henry as a man, sheltered life, prim English, theoretical about love? His reaction to the discoveries about the translation, the changing of characters, omissions, Maria’s decisions? The publisher and her calls, continued enthusiasm? Signing autographs?
8. Travelling the countryside, the further meetings? Henry going on social media, the range of messages, photos, Twitter remarks…? His bewilderment?
9. The encounter with Pedro, gay style, flair, insistence on the promotion of the book? Wanting another book? The couple staying with him?
10. The further meetings, the continued fans?
11. On the road, getting to know Maria better, the clashes with her? The boy, clash with his mother, Henry going to communicate with him, bring him back, the photo?
12. Maria’s husband, abandoning her, his mates, jealousies, the encounters with Maria, arguments, taking the photo with him in bed, sending it to Henry?
13. The couple trying to work together, creating a new story? The basics? The background, their talking together, Maria and her ambitions, working in the bar, not having time to write? Henry, some concessions to Maria? The walk together, talking, self revelation, the sexual encounter and the consequences?
14. Henry, jealousy at the photo, not believing Maria? Back to London, the publication of the book? The return to Mexico, the press conference, the fans all present again, Maria arriving with her son? Her doing the translation? Her husband intruding, the defiance, the clash, his humiliation?
15. The interview, talking of the rewriting of the book – and Maria rewriting Henry’s life?