Summary
The whole love-through-a-wall premise may sound like a weird way of getting to know someone, but it makes for a sweet feel-good romantic comedy.
Netflix’s Love, Divided is perfect casual viewing and a reminder of why tropes become tropes in the first place. The overly familiar underpinnings may prevent the rom-com, a Spanish-language remake of the 2015 French comedy Blind Date, from standing out, but I found it had some charm and an enjoyably quirky premise all the same.
If you ever wanted the movie version of Love Is Blind, this Patricia Font-directed rom-com is it. It’s got two protagonists who get to know each other through a wall. There are no proposals but we do get parts in the film when one of them suggests meeting for an in-person glass of wine, but they decide to continue “dating” without seeing each other.
Love, Divided tells the story of two peculiar individuals who end up sharing the paper-thin hollow wall separating their two apartments. David (Fernando Guallar) designs complex kids’ puzzles from home, but the toy store he owns with his best friend isn’t doing great, and he hasn’t left his house for three years. Thankfully, his best friend and business partner, Nacho, is willing to take care of the toy store and do David’s grocery shopping so he never needs to step foot outside the safety of his apartment.
Valentina (Aitana) is an aspiring classical piano player who moved into the apartment next to David’s after splitting up with her overbearing ex-boyfriend. Her cousin gets her a job at a nearby health drinks shop and she needs to spend her free time practicing for an important upcoming audition. While Valentina dreams of being a pop singer, her ex convinced her to pursue playing classical music in the Orchestra instead.
Love, Divided | Image via Netflix
Because the wall dividing their apartments does nothing to prevent sound from traveling, David’s gotten into a habit of chasing out any potential neighbors by keeping them up at night with loud, obnoxious bangs. For Valentina, living by herself for the first time is a huge deal, so she has no intention of letting David take that away from her. The two must find a way to peacefully coexist, and maybe find true love in the process. This is, after all, a romantic comedy.
Aside from its quirky premise, the Spanish rom-com is a mostly formulaic take on the trope of two people who initially dislike each other falling in love. Each lead even gets one best friend, Carmen for Valentina and Nacho for David, whose only purpose in life is to live vicariously through the protagonists. A bonus is Valentina’s manipulative ex, Oscar, whose exaggerated awfulness exists only to make the reclusive David look like an ideal potential boyfriend.
That’s not to say Love Divided lacks charm. After all, tropes become tropes for a reason, and this movie leans into what makes the rom-com fun to watch in the first place. We have a sweet story about two attractive leads who find each other in an unusual way. Neither of them is where they want to be in life, making them perfectly relatable characters for the viewer to cheer on.
There’s undeniable chemistry between Aitana and Fernando Guallar, who each adds an element of endearment to their characters. The film is funny without being grating, and it makes for perfect casual viewing if you’re in the mood for a lighthearted stream.
I also broke down the ending of Love, Divided in detail, so check that out if you’re interested!
