Summary
Quirky and charming, it’s a shame the characters aren’t likable and lack development. Not a rom-com for the ages.
The Heartbreak Agency (Die Liebeskümmerer) is a German-language Netflix Original rom-com directed by Shirel Peleg and written by Antonia Rothe-Liermann, Elena-Katharina Sohn, and Malte Welding.
It’s the time for romance and we want to be wined and dined, then get comfy to watch a cute, hopeful, uplifting film. So, when I read that The Heartbreak Agency was about an angry, insensitive male chauvinist changing his ways I was more than intrigued. Unfortunately, the film is full of stereotypes, has a messy storyline, and lacks comedy and character development.
In an attempt to help people recover from heartbreak, our misogynistic protagonist writes an article mocking the work of a female therapist and her agency. He then takes up therapy with this said therapist to help change his mind and re-write his article. At first, this is just to get his job back, but he ends up falling for his therapist and learning what real love is all about.
It’s an odd man-is-changed-for-the-better story. His revenge article could have been an interesting perspective with potential; going a lot darker and deeper to have a hard-hitting impact. Instead, it feels safe and sloppy. If the goal was to be a comedy, there’s nothing wrong about a man seeking to fix his broken heart through playful revenge. This was just painful to listen to and his angst against his transformation, and then his instant change of heart, made me disconnect and wonder what the point of this film is.
Karl (Laurence Rupp) is an unlikeable character and is written to be outspoken, sexist, opinionated, and old-school so it’s difficult for a viewer to care about him. Marie’s character is far more engaging, but I wanted more depth from both characters. Karl’s random change of personality, going from hateful and selfish to a loving romantic is thoughtless.
Karl and Maria (his therapist) getting together feels messy and unethical. Suddenly we’ve gone from a love and woman hater to a family man who’s great with kids. It’s weak and lazy writing.
What I did appreciate is how the story gets straight into Karl and Marie’s meeting and doesn’t waste time with lots of getting-to-know-them montages. The film has a very steady pace, and some lovely stylistic shots, and the acting is believable, but not compelling.
The Heartbreak Agency is a predictable and dull rom-com. The plot isn’t well devised and is a stretch from reality, making it hard to relate to and agree with. The lead is not a character you’ll root for, but rather question him and his actions. Whilst the film does have some charm, it’s still weak in its story and character development.
What did you think of The Heartbreak Agency? Comment below.
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