I’ve come to realize that rom-coms are not my forte, with the recent release of “Picture This” confirming it. 

The reason this movie even made it on my radar is because of Simone Ashley, the film’s executive producer and romantic lead. Known for her roles in Netflix’s “Sex Education” and “Bridgerton;” Ashley has spoken passionately about the importance of opening doors for women of color, particularly South Asian women, to play the lead in romantic stories. 

Despite this sentiment, we still see so few South Asian women on the big screen playing lead roles in this genre. That’s what makes “Picture This” so special.        

A British remake of Australia’s “Five Blind Dates,” the movie follows Pia (Ashley), as she attends her sister’s engagement party where a guru tells her that the love of her life will be one of the next five dates she has. But Pia is an independent woman who doesn’t want marriage.           

Instead, she’s determined to make her portrait studio flourish — even if it’s failing and she risks eviction—while resisting the heavy martial expectations of her semi-conservative Indian family. 

Here’s the catch: When her family shows her the jewelry she’ll receive upon her marriage, she allows each family member (and friend) to set her up on blind dates. You can imagine how well that goes. Especially when her ex-boyfriend (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), forces her to confront the fact she’s never really gotten over him. 

The film was fun, but there were moments that had me rolling my eyes. The writing felt weak, with some “comedic” moments coming across as juvenile. It really did feel like an Emily Henry novel adapted for the screen, and I’m still trying to figure out if that is a good thing or not. 

My biggest issue with the movie is that while the real core of this film is about promoting more roles for women of color in romantic comedies, that does not extend to the male love interest. I’m so tired of seeing romantic comedies pairing a non-white person with a white love interest. 

I’m not hating on Tiffin’s performance — I actually quite enjoyed it, especially considering the only other work I’ve seen him in was the atrocious “After,” which is essentially a Harry Styles Wattpad fan fiction adapted to the screen. 

But casting directors just can’t seem to bring themselves to not cast a white actor in a rom-com. 

“Picture This” is really a film about family, sisterhood and breaking cultural boundaries and traditions. It will always be refreshing to see a South Asian woman take the lead in a rom-com, but this ultimately reminds us that the genre still has plenty of room for improvement.

Categories: Arts & Entertainment