love again movie review 2023

‘Love Again’ Review: Far-Fetched Romance Finds Celine Dion Ready for Her Close-Up … and Her Comeback

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan play depressed singles who hit it off after exchanging a series of embarrassing text messages in a movie featuring Celine Dion in her big-screen debut.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

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We’ve all heard Celine Dion ’s “My Heart Will Go On,” but if you really listen to the lyrics — “Love can touch us one time / And last for a lifetime” — the tragedy-defying hope they describe applies to more than just comely Rose learning to live without her blue-eyed cabin boy. Eighteen years after “Titanic” made her a mega-star, Dion lost her husband and manager, René Angélil, and the singer has made no secret of her struggle to move on since.

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Two years after watching the love of her life struck down by a self-driving car, or else crushed by a fleet of scooters (we’ll never know, since said accident occurs right in front of Mira’s eyes but outside our view), Chopra Jonas’ character is having a hard time letting go. Without realizing that Rob is on the receiving end, she starts flooding his new work phone with wincingly intimate texts — messages about how she misses the smell of her soul mate, and her desire to be naked together.

Enter Celine Dion, whom Rob’s been assigned to profile for the only-in-the-movies newspaper where he “works.” Played by the Scottish “Outlander” star with a disconcerting, what-is-he-hiding stare, he brings a strange energy to the role. Rob could be Alexander Skarsgård’s serial-killer sibling. The only difference between this guy and all the chiseled-abs dudes Mira swipes past on Bumble is that Rob wears shirts — though they don’t appear to have been washed in a few days.

Edgier than the film’s target audience as he is, Rob doesn’t think much of Dion, dismissing her lyrics as sentimental and trite — which even a Celine Dion super fan (like myself) would concede to be true. Dion’s power is in her delivery: the pure chest-thumping conviction with which she howls lines like “Where does my heart beat now? / Where is the sound / That only echoes through the night?” Slouchy and unshaven, Rob shows up to interview the singer, and she turns the tables: “You have the presence of a pair of used underwear,” she quips, her Canadian accent undercutting the comic timing and bite of that barb. (Where’s Cher when you need her?) The movie would be more interesting with some of that “Devil Wears Prada” venom, whereas Dion comes off … well, decent. Hence, the self-help vibe.

There’s not much chemistry between Chopra Jonas and Heughan — and how could there be, since they’re stuck in a one-way conversation for half the movie? Plus, Mira’s texts are just so sad. At one point, after Rob spends the night, Mira wakes up to hear him talking with her younger sister Suzy (Sofia Barclay), and it seems for a second that perhaps he’s found a better match — someone with the capacity to smile. But Mira must surely find a way to love again, and there seems to be potential, if they can just get past their One Big Secret, which will require an absurdly unprofessional demonstration of love on Rob’s part.

Again, that’s where love guru Dion comes in handy, playing a barely fictionalized version of herself as she shares details from her real-life relationship with Angélil. Though we see Dion’s strong survivor side, her vulnerability remains one of her most endearing assets — the very same quality that makes her persona too much for some people to take. “Love Again” was never intended for the skeptics, whereas admirers will appreciate the comeback aspect of her first film role. It’s a big-screen romance that aspires to making fans feel the way Dion’s music does, like their hearts can go on.

Reviewed at Screening Room, Culver City, Calif., May 4, 2023. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 104 MIN.

• Production: A Sony release of a Screen Gems presentation, in association with 2.0 Entertainment, of a Thunder Road Films production. Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Esther Hornstein. Executive producers: Doug Belgrad, Sophie Cassidy, Louise Killin, Jonathan Fuhrman, Celine Dion, Dave Platel, Denis Savage.
• Crew: Director, writer: Jim Strouse, based on the motion picture “Text for You” (“SMS für Dich”), based on the novel by Sofie Cramer and written by Andrea Wilson, Malte Welding, Karoline Herfurth, Sophie Kluge, Anike Decker. Camera: Andrew Dunn. Editor: Jesse Gordon. Music: Keegan DeWitt.
• With: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Celine Dion, Russell Tovey, Steve Oram, Arinzé Kene, Lydia West, Sofia Barclay, Celia Imrie, Omid Djalili.

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Love Again Reviews

Love Again, believe it or not, mirrors the opera [Orpheus And Eurydice] beautifully.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 12, 2023

Love Again is a charming rom-com with meaningful dramatic moments and likable enjoyable characters worth rooting for another chance at true love.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Sep 10, 2023

Is the film successful in converting the stone-hearted into a believer? Not completely. But it does get sufficiently close.

Full Review | Sep 9, 2023

For what it is, a sort of wistful, sad Hallmark romance with pretty leads who have little chemistry, it’s not terrible. Random laughs are scattered throughout.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Sep 5, 2023

... To watch this movie is to experience molecular-level embarrassment for all involved parties.

Full Review | Sep 5, 2023

[An] often maudlin tale that’s an unconvincing combination of P.S. I Love You and Sleepless in Seattle.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 31, 2023

A sweet romance that throws up two surprises - first of all Celine Dion can act and second of all the film takes on a more serious tone than you would expect at times.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 22, 2023

Love Again is not even on the cusp of being a memorable romantic-comedy, especially because it apparently forgot that a prerequisite of the genre is to provide laughs.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 2, 2023

Has a certain amount of charm but the needed chemistry between Jonas and Heughen just isn't there.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Jun 1, 2023

Love Again starts out with an uncomfortable premise, and things get worse from there. Even those who ironically enjoy Hallmark TV romances might have difficulty with a movie that can’t seem to hit the right notes.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | May 23, 2023

Fluffy, cheesy and nary a sense of ingenuity, Love Again can be seen as a throwback to the plentiful rom-coms of yore. Or as a laughable pastiche with sugar levels so high, it will make your teeth rot. Let the power ballad of the Queen guide you.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 20, 2023

Even the lead pair’s chemistry is up for debate. Love Again’s rehashed plot can’t help falling prey to all the rom-com tropes by being sappy and entirely predictable with not enough comedy.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 17, 2023

It’s got a Hallmark-level plot, and in other hands, perhaps the movie could be a little charming.

Full Review | May 17, 2023

If you want to see something familiar and comfortable and entertaining, "Love Again" is a decent option; just don't go to see it expecting something new or different. There would be no use. Full review in Spanish.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 16, 2023

It still overall charmed me and I thought everything with Celine Dion was cute. I love the idea of people falling in love over their words.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | May 16, 2023

Give me Priyanka Chopra Jonas clobbering away in a cheeseball action series over moping around in a silly, schmaltzy, romance that's long past its shelf life.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 16, 2023

It is of course Dion’s overwhelming voice and music that flood your heart, not this flimsy and occasionally morbid story.

Full Review | May 15, 2023

... A romantic comedy where everything you think it's gonna happen, happens. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 12, 2023

Sadly, I’m not sure her [Celine Dion's] five new ballads power over this rom-com’s sizable plot holes.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 12, 2023

Love Again sounds like a title where novelty goes to die, and the resulting film certainly does nothing to deviate from such lowered expectations.

Full Review | May 12, 2023

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‘Love Again’: Critics and audiences clash over Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan rom-com

• May 11, 2023 3:00PM

On May 5, 2023, Sony Pictures released “ Love Again ” starring Sam Heughan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the romantic comedy. A young woman (Chopra Jonas) tries to ease the pain of her fiancé’s death by sending romantic texts to his old cell phone number, and forms a connection with the man the number has been reassigned to (Heughan). The ensemble cast includes Grammy winner Celine Dion , Russell Tovey , Steve Oram , Omid Djalili , and Lydia West .

While critics have widely panned the film, landing it at a paltry 22% on Rotten Tomatoes from 23 reviews, audiences are swooning, with over 250 everyday movie-goers putting it at a 92% fresh audience score. So what’s causing this clash? Read our full review round-up below.

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Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru praises the film, noting, “Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan have palpable chemistry which helps you to want Mira and Rob to end up together. Chemistry is everything in a romcom, so kudos to the casting director and Jim Strouse for selecting romantic leads who are very charismatic. The supporting actors and actresses are also terrific including Celia Imrie , who makes the most out of her few scenes, Omid Djalili, and Steve Oram who has a hilarious scene as Rob’s editor. Then there’s the wonderful music by Celine Dion including some of her new songs. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, ‘Love Again’ is a heartwarming, tender and witty romantic comedy. If you enjoy 90’s romcoms like ‘You’ve Got Mail’ and ‘While You Were Sleeping,’ you’ll probably enjoy ‘Love Again,’ too.”

Mark Dujsik of Mark Reviews Movies notes, “So many things go wrong with ‘Love Again,’ almost immediately from the start, that it’s quite the struggle to figure out if anything actually goes right within this wholly predictable and occasionally creepy attempt at a romantic story. There’s at least a little bit of chemistry between the two leads, and while that would usually be something, it’s beside the point in this movie. The setup of the central relationship is simply too contrived and discomforting to care if the actors seem as if they’re having fun playing at falling in love.”

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Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics writes, “Let me preface this by saying that I’m a big fan of writer/director James C. Strouse. Two of his previous films, ‘The Incredible Jessica James’ and ‘People Places Things,’ both featuring Jessica Williams , are wonderful blends of humor and heart about the way that love can sneak up on you when least expected. His latest, the wildly absurd, Celine Dion worship spectacle ‘Love Again’ sorta follows the same idea. Um, love definitely comes out of nowhere, that’s for sure. It’s a film so bizarre in so many ways that you almost want to like it for being so strange, and for giving us the undeniably stunning sight of Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan in a game of pick-up basketball.”

Despite those tepid, or even scathing reviews, audiences are loving the film. A few verified ticket buyers wrote:

“I laughed. I cried. It’s not going to win any academy awards but it was a fun rom-com movie to see. My gal-pal and I both enjoyed it and it’s a movie I might even consider seeing a second time with my husband.” – Bev

“Fun romantic escape. Sam Heughan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas played with our hearts from cynical, resignation, to hopeful, you just wanted to cheer them on. And Celine as love guru – using her lyrics says it all. Go see ‘Love Again’ to lift your spirits.” – V

“This was such a good movie. I really enjoyed it. It even made me cry. Definitely a movie for saps who love a good romance movie.” – Ashley

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• DVD & Streaming
• Comedy , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

• May 5, 2023
• Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mira Ray; Sam Heughan as Rob Burns; Sofia Barclay as Suzy Ray; Céline Dion as herself; Russell Tovey as Billy Brooks; Lydia West as Lisa Scott

Home Release Date

• May 23, 2023
• Jim Strouse

Distributor

• Sony Pictures

Movie Review

Mira isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to fall in love again. What she had with her last boyfriend, John, was pretty perfect. They were on the verge of that illusive happily ever after that people say never happens these days. But in their case, it didn’t. John was taken in an accident with a drunk driver.

How do you bounce back from that?

The fact is, you don’t. Or at least, Mira hasn’t. And everything in her life has suffered in the two years since John’s tragic death. She used to be a very successful children’s book author and artist. But now all her formerly happy, rainbow-colored caterpillars are sad, weeping and gray. That doesn’t sell kids’ books.

Mira’s sister and friends have tried to pull her out of her grief. But their well-meaning efforts haven’t helped. Then Mira decides to give one small bit of advice a try. A good friend dealing with his own tragic loss suggests that he makes it through by sitting down with a glass of wine and sharing his thoughts with an empty chair representing his deceased wife. It helps him talk things out. Even vent sometimes.

When Mira tries this wine-and-vent ritual, however, she feels silly. It’s not her. But then an idea hits her: She could also text her thoughts and feelings. She and John used to do that all the time when he was out of town.

But have you ever wondered what happens to a phone number once its former user passes away? That’s right: It’s eventually given to someone new. And in this case that new someone is a guy named Rob.

Rob has had a few love issues of his own. His fiancée walked out on him just a week before their wedding. And that’s left him a bit wrung out and romantically gun-shy, too. But then, out of the blue, his new work phone begins receiving texts from an unknown number. Beautiful texts. Texts filled with poetic thoughts about loss and grief and love. Texts that swirl before Rob’s eyes with the grace of a ballet dancer. They lift him. They heal him.

Is it possible, do you think, that you can fall in love with someone simply by reading their thoughts and feelings?

Rob’s coworkers assure him the words are likely a scam, or a ploy, or maybe the blatherings of a creepy old grandmother lurking out there in the digital ether somewhere. But Rob is certain that none of those theories are true. These have to be heartfelt missives from someone very, very special.

If he’s correct, though, what now? How do you track down someone and “accidentally” meet them without letting on that you’ve been peeking in on their most intimate thoughts?

Ah, that’s stuff right out of a movie, right?

Positive Elements

Amid this film’s typical (and at times silly) rom-com conventions, it earnestly suggests that a tragic loss doesn’t have to derail someone’s life. Singer Céline Dion shows up as a character here to declare that truth to Rob (who’s a music critic). She uses her own story of love and loss as an illustration.

Rob and Mira also tend to be conservative about their approach to a relationship. Even though others around them advocate simply getting sex whenever and wherever its available, Rob and Mira focus on connecting with each other and slowly peeling back the layers of their thoughts and feelings about life and love.

Spiritual Elements

The closest thing to addressing spirituality is Céline Dion’s advice that Rob must open himself to the “Universe,” in a vaguely divine kind of way, to let good things rush in.

Though more imaginary than physical, Mira has a short conversation to say goodbye to her deceased boyfriend late in the film.

Sexual Content

Mira’s sister, Suzy, repeatedly encourages her to get back out on the dating scene and suggestively says she needs to “get the d.” In fact, she signs Mira up for a dating app and shows her pics of guys (mostly all ripped and shirtless). The only guy that Mira dates from that app is a rather vacuous gym-rat type who instantly starts passionately making out with her once they get in a cab together. She tries to slow things down. But when he realizes that he isn’t going to get sex, he quickly pulls out his phone to try and connect with another date.

Rob’s gay coworker Billy is much the same. He accompanies Rob to a bar as an act of support. But then he connects with a handsome guy there who he declares he’ll “smash” later that evening.

After a while, Rob and Mira do, predictably, end up in bed. We see them the next morning. He’s lounging shirtless and she is covered only by a sheet. We also see Rob from the waist up showering.

Mira wears some cleavage-baring T-shirts. Some of her texts mention being naked with the man she loves. Rob and Mira kiss passionately on several occasions.

Céline Dion tells a story about a kiss that unlocked secret feelings inside her.

Violent Content

Mira’s boyfriend, John, is killed in a car accident. We see Mira’s reaction to the accident rather than the accident itself.

Crude or Profane Language

There’s one f-word and some 10 s-words in the dialogue, along with one or two uses each of the words “h—” and “a–hole.” Someone say that the “gods are d-cks” God’s name is misused several times.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Mira and her sister drink beer while playing a game. And later we see Mira with glasses of wine and also hard liquor. She also drinks a margarita with a date at a restaurant. For his part, Rob drinks beer on a couple occasions and has a glass of Scotch at a bar. Other patrons at a restaurant and a bar drink alcohol of various types.

Other Negative Elements

Rob doesn’t exactly lie to Mira, but he does fail to tell her the whole truth. And that failure comes back to plague him.

Romantic comedies generally start with a simple central conceit, a fanciful meet-cute that brings an unlikely couple together. Then good rom-coms springboard that unlikely folderol into something entertainingly smile worthy.

Love Again has its own cute conceit. It has an attractive couple to sprinkle loving fairy dust over. It even injects lots of Céline Dion (her music and the singer herself) into the action to give things a nostalgic love song vibe.

But somebody forgot the springboard.

And that leaves us with a story that feels incredibly predictable. No twists, no turns. No surprises, no what ifs. If it gives you anything , it might make you a tad sentimental. Leaving you to wistfully think of those good clean and upright rom-coms you remember so fondly.

Content-wise, Love Again drives right down middle of the road. It’s got some sexual commentary from the protagonists’ family and friends. And it adds a completely pointless f-bomb and a jump-into-bed scene to satisfy some nebulous Hollywood formula for a PG-13 romance.

That said, this movie doesn’t push the bounds of its rating as far as many others might these days. Which is to say, it’s not as problematic as it could have been. But that’s faint praise, really, in this movie that feels like a glass half-full at best, and perhaps half-empty at worst, romantic comedy.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Girl meets creepy boy in off-putting rom-com ‘Love Again’

Man exploits a texting glitch to deceive a grieving widow, and all with the help of celine dion..

The romance of Rob (Sam Heughan) and Mira (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) lacks spark in “Love Again.”

Screen Gems

Blocked and Reported as Ludicrous Froth.

I’m not going to say the ridiculous and off-putting romantic text-message dramedy “Love Again” is the worst movie of the year, but it might be the most implausible film I’ve seen so far in 2023, and I’m not necessarily excluding “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Cocaine Bear” and “65” from the competition.

This is one of those movies that never eschews the opportunity to embrace a rom-com cliché, even as it asks us to empathize with a male lead who behaves in such a selfish, immature and borderline cruel manner that we’re kind of rooting for a bus every time this guy crosses the street. I mean, not really, but at the very least he should be sent to Rom-Com Jail for being the worst.

“Love Again” a remake of the German film “SMS für Dich (SMS for You),” which was based on a 2009 novel by Sofie Cramer, kicks off with Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ Mira at a coffee shop, where she cuddles and kisses and coos and is lost in love with her dreamy boyfriend John (Arinzé Kene)—who then proceeds to walk outside and get run over by a drunk driver right in front of Mira’s eyes (but not ours, thanks be the tastemakers), I kid you not. Just like that, John is dead dead dead.

We flash forward the obligatory two years, with Mira just starting to get back on her feet, with the encouragement of her sassy, energetic, bright-light younger sister Suzy (Sofia Barclay). We have no idea what Suzy does or what her life is about, because she exists in this movie for the sole purpose of supporting Mira, encouraging Mira, cheering on Mira.

Now let’s meet Rob Burns (Sam Heughan from “Outlander”), who looks a bit like Tom Brady and works as a music critic at the New York Chronicle, which apparently is a newspaper, though the newsroom looks more like the home base of a trendy and quite successful tech start-up. At times there appear to be only a handful of people working there, including Rob’s colleagues Billy (Russell Tovey) and Lisa (Lydia West), who, like Suzy, are just in this movie to comment on Rob’s life and cheer him on, what with Rob having been dumped just before he was to be married.

Mira, who writes successful children’s books about a caterpillar who refuses to leave the cocoon and doesn’t want to become a butterfly (just like Mira!), begins texting her dead boyfriend John’s old number every night, telling him about her day but mostly writing poetic tributes to their love. But get this: Rob has just been given a new work phone, and he has … John’s old number! Not only that, when Rob interviews Celine Dion (played by Celine Dion), it turns into a therapy session in which Celine talks about the loss of her husband and encourages Rob to pursue a connection with whoever this Mira person might be. Rob Googles Mira, and it takes only a few clicks for him to learn about her dead boyfriend, and realize Mira is sending those texts to her lost love.

Celine Dion plays Celine Dion, encouraging Rob’s duplicity.

Now then. What is the only reasonable, rational, sensible, kind thing to do? That’s right: Rob should text Mira and let her know John’s old number has been reassigned to him, and he wishes her the best, and that would be that. But nooooooooo! Rob rationalizes to his friends that he can’t text Mira because he doesn’t want to embarrass her, and he proceeds to court her, woo her, charm her and go to bed with her, all without revealing what he knows. If that’s not bad enough, he persuades Celine Dion to meet with Mira and hire her to design Celine’s tour poster, so now Celine is in on the ruse! WHAT.

You can probably guess the next series of developments, and let’s just say those guesses wouldn’t be far off. “Love Again” plays out like some ungainly melding of “You’ve Got Mail” and the Gwyneth Paltrow-Ben Affleck plane crash movie “Bounce,” but using only the parts from those fine films that didn’t work. Priyanka Chopra Jonas remains a luminous onscreen presence and her Mira is lovely and likable, but there’s a distinct lack of a spark in the romance with Sam Heughan, who’s about as exciting as two slices of white bread just before they pop from the toaster. Then again, it’s not really Heughan’s fault he’s saddled with playing a brooding nincompoop who’s very much a bounder.

Love Again (I) (2023)

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‘Love Again’ Movie Review: A Cute Rom-Com With Celine Dion

The new romantic comedy stars Sam Heughan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Love Again  is like a PG-13 Hallmark Channel movie – and is about as far-fetched as a rom-com gets.

Through cynical eyes (just scroll down  Rotten Tomatoes ), the  Love Again  movie is about a creepy guy taking advantage of a grieving woman using many rom-com tropes.

But if you approach the film uncynically, accept the story’s sweetness, and embrace romance unabashedly , you’ll likely enjoy the ride as much as I did – especially for the likable actors (Sam Heughan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas) and new original songs from Céline Dion (who also stars).

LOVE AGAIN  THE MOVIE – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Before going into my  Love Again  review, I gathered everything you need to know about the new romantic comedy: from the official synopsis to the movie’s cast, the soundtrack, and the trailer.

Love Again  Official Synopsis: 

From Sony Pictures :

What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number…not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns’ new work phone. A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person…and win her heart. Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan and Celine Dion and featuring multiple new songs from Dion, Love Again, written for the screen and directed by Jim Strouse, is only in theaters May 5, 2023.

Love Again  Movie Cast

Love Again  includes a fascinating cast led by Sam Heughan ( Outlander ) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas ( Citadel ), with supporting roles from Céline Dion, Russell Tovey ( Being Human ), Nick Jonas, Celia Imrie, and more.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas stars as children’s book illustrator Mira Ray, a grieving young woman, sending text messages to her deceased boyfriend.

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Sam Heughan plays the male lead, Rob Burns (a clear nod to the Scottish poet Robert Burns), a music critic writing a profile piece on Céline Dion – who convinces him of the power of love and taking chances. He starts receiving Mira’s texts and falls in love with her.

Céline Dion makes her feature film debut playing a fictional version of herself – telling of her romantic love story with René Angélil and working as the fairy godmother of sorts in the film.

The rest of the supporting actors include:

• Sofia Barclay as Mira’s younger sister, Suzy Ray.
• Russell Tovey as Billy Brooks – Rob’s co-worker and best friend. 
• Lydia West as Lisa Scott – Another co-worker of Rob’s.
• Steve Oram as Richard Hughes – Rob’s boss.
• Nick Jonas as Joel – A date Mira meets through a dating app. 
• Celia Imrie as Gina Valentine – Mira’s publisher.
• Arinzé Kene as John – Mira’s deceased boyfriend, John.
• Omid Djalili as Mohsen – A family friend of Mira.

Love Again  Soundtrack Featuring Céline Dion

The soundtrack from the movie features five new songs from Céline Dion – including the featured song, “Love Again!” Plus, familiar favorites like “All By Myself,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me,” and more.

If you’re a Céline fan, this is a film you can’t miss – if only for the amazing soundtrack. The new songs are lovely.

Love Again  Film Trailer

LOVE AGAIN  REVIEW

Love Again  is a light-hearted romance movie that won’t win any awards (not that it’s trying to) but will win over the hearts of romantics everywhere.

It’s a nice bit of fluff escapism set in New York City that fully embraces what it is: a romantic comedy fantasy following rom-com trope after trope with a HEA as its cherry on top.

Love Again  is a remake of the 2016 German film  SMS für Dich  and is also based on the 2009 novel by Sofie Cramer. And while I can’t compare this movie to the original inspirations since I haven’t read the book or seen the German adaptation, it sounds like the American remake followed the heart of the original story without significant deviations.

The story follows Mira Ray after the tragic loss of her fiancé. Two years after his passing, she finds solace in sending heartfelt, confessional texts to his old cell phone number.

Little does she know that the number has been reassigned to Rob Burns, a dedicated music critic/media journalist. He quickly becomes enamored by the sincerity and emotion conveyed in Mira’s messages and sets out to meet her in person.

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When assigned to write a profile piece on Céline Dion, he enlists Céline’s help to win Mira’s heart. But what if Mira finds out the truth about the text messages? Will Mira and Rob find love together? Or will they break apart because he didn’t tell her the whole story from the beginning?

Thus, the premise of  Love Again . It is a rom-com about the transformative power of love and connection in the digital age – albeit with a heavy-handed dosage of saccharine sweetness.

The Romance

The romance on the surface of the story sounds weird. A guy reads personal texts without revealing he’s receiving them and then sets out to find this woman in person. It could be seen as a bit stalker-like.

But it’s  Outlander’s  Sam Heughan, with his natural accent showcasing all his charm and adorable qualities, playing a likable, good guy. So, if you accept that this story is more fantasy than reality and ultimately go on to accept the premise in this rom-com world, it’s really fun and endearing to watch.

Expectations going in are key. As I said, the only way to enjoy this movie is without cynicism.

The movie has numerous entertaining romantic moments and good chemistry between Chopra Jonas and Heughan – although more character development would have been nice. As would a wittier script and actual comedic moments.

But the love story itself is entertaining and worth watching.

Céline Dion 

As for Ms. Dion, she does a fantastic job in the film – proving she’s a talented actress on top of her phenomenal singing abilities.

She portrays a fictionalized version of herself – adding to the authenticity – revealing more about the real-life love story between her and her husband – while also playing matchmaker in the film.

It’s an absolute joy to watch Dion’s performance – and her new original songs are great, too. 

Overall Thoughts

While there isn’t much comedy in this rom-com (a continuing problem in the genre), it’s a sweet treat for rom-com fans everywhere looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

And if you enjoyed romantic comedies and movies like  Return to Me , You’ve Got Mail , or  P.S. I Love You  and ALSO (also is key) love Hallmark romances, this is the movie for you. It’s a middle-of-the-road romance film with decent directing and a lovely script – but nothing overly memorable.

Still, I enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone wanting to watch a Hallmark-type film with a little more sensuality.

So, take in the spoonful of sugar and embrace the sweetness of  Love Again , a heartwarming romantic comedy that explores the serendipitous power of love and technology.  

Love Again  Movie: Where to Watch

The  Love Again  movie premiered on Netflix on September 2, 2023, and is currently available exclusively on the streaming site. You can also rent or buy the film digitally or on DVD.

Content Note:  PG-13 for brief, strong language, suggestive content, and implied sensuality.

Have you watched  Love Again ? Do you agree with my review? What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments!

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Amber works as a writer and digital publisher full-time and fell in love with stories and imagination at an early age. She has a Humanities and Film Degree from BYU, co-created The Silver Petticoat Review, contributed as a writer to various magazines, and has an MS in Publishing from Pace University, where she received the Publishing Award of Excellence and wrote her thesis on transmedia, Jane Austen, and the romance genre. Her ultimate dreams are publishing books, writing and producing movies, traveling around the world, and forming a creative village of talented storytellers trying to change the world through art.

More posts by this author.

Love Again Review

It’s bold to assume the audience of your Hollywood romcom is familiar with the opera  Orpheus And Eurydice  by Christoph Willibald Gluck. The Orpheus myth has inspired some of the greatest filmmakers of the past century, from Jean Cocteau to Céline Sciamma. To that lofty pantheon we must now add James C. Strouse, writer and director of  Love Again . Or rather Karoline Herfurth, whose 2016 film  SMS für Dich  (based on a novel by Sofie Cramer), inspired it. Perhaps German cinemagoers are all Gluck aficionados.

Love Again , believe it or not, mirrors the opera beautifully. After children’s book illustrator Mira Ray ( Priyanka Chopra Jonas ) loses her boyfriend in a car accident, she continues to text her dead lover’s phone as a channel for her grief. His mobile is recycled and used as the work phone of music critic Rob Burns ( Sam Heughan ), who falls in love with Mira through her melancholic poetry. Mira reveals her adoration for  Orpheus And Eurydice , currently playing in New York, and Rob attends every performance to stage an impromptu meet-cute.

They strike up a romance, only for Mira to find her texts on Rob’s phone. Like Orpheus turning to face Eurydice, which condemns her to Hades forever, Mira disappears from Rob’s life. But unlike the Orpheus myth, Gluck’s opera has the cupid-like Amore revive Eurydice after taking pity on Orpheus — and who better to embody Amore in this adaptation than Canadian diva Celine Dion, appearing as herself, to guide Rob through the nine circles of Hell? It’s a peculiar sort of genius.

To this bizarre concoction add a smattering of British stars, including Russell Tovey , Lydia West, and Celia Imrie , doing shaky American accents, and that’s  Love Again . It’s roughly made, suffocated by on-screen text messages and a heavy violin score by Keegan DeWitt out of tune with the Gluck arias and Dion ballads. But when a movie moves with such ease from ‘Che farò senza Eurydice?’ to ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’, one can only respond with bemused respect.

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Movie Review – Love Again (2023)

May 12, 2023 by admin

Love Again , 2023.

Directed by Jim Strouse. Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, and Céline Dion.

A young woman tries to ease the pain of her fiancé’s death by sending romantic texts to his old cell phone number and forms a connection with the man the number has been reassigned to.

If you think Love Again follows a predictable plot with cheesy clichés that go hand in hand with most rom-coms, then you’d be correct with your assessment. This, however, is not meant to be a dig, as the formulaic overused approach resonates with viewers and is what makes the genre so loved by many.

And though Jim Strouse’s modern-day You’ve Got Mail wannabe attempts to create an inevitable meet-cute over a more technologically advanced medium — seeing as using email to find the love of your life is now considered a bit dated — Love Again is so outlandish that it creates an instant disconnect that no other aspects of the film can make up for.

Mira (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) works on her latest children’s book illustration in a local café. She is later joined by her boyfriend, John (Arinze Kene), who stops by for a quick interaction with the love of his life. After leaving the establishment, he is struck and killed by a drunk driver, though the audience doesn’t witness the tragedy. Instead, an awkward camera close-up captures Mira’s detached reaction to the event as she watches through the window without so much as flinching.

A two-year flashforward reveals that the heroine still struggles with her loss. She has moved back to her parent’s home in the suburbs, fleeing from the apartment she shared with her sister in the city, as remaining in the location where her former lover passed away is too painful.

To battle her grief, she texts sentimental messages to John’s old phone number to bring herself comfort. However, his digits have been reassigned to Rob (Sam Heughan), a New York movie critic jaded after his ex-fiancé left him at the altar. Even though he is not the intended text recipient, his curiosity surrounding the woman at the other end of the one-way conversation consumes him.

Though the circumstances in which Rob and Mira meet are unrealistic, one could hope that Love Again would provide compelling performances and dynamic characters that might make viewers more forgiving of the material. Regrettably, we aren’t given either of those things, and the pair’s romance is watered down further by a lack of chemistry between Heughan and Chopra Jonas.

While Heughan certainly looks the part, Rob’s personality is about as thrilling as watching paint dry, and you can’t help but wonder why Mira is drawn to someone so inept of depth in the first place. Considering Rob is the male lead, his role is uninspiring and feels more like an afterthought than a point of focus. Chopra Jonas brings some relatability to Mira through her sorrow. However, the character is bland and forgettable, unlike other captivating female leads of the same genre.

Even when Mira and Rob are introduced, their first interaction is an awkward, anticlimactic snooze fest. But, ironically, their best-acted scenes are those that do not involve each other. Instead, Chopra Jonas excels in portraying a grief-stricken woman who has lost her way after John’s devastating demise, and Heughan is at his best when acting alongside Céline Dion. Yes, that Céline Dion.

As it turns out, the iconic Canadian singer plays herself in the film and becomes Rob’s romantic confidant after he is recruited to interview her for an upcoming tour. Of course, you can’t help but wonder if her casting is a plug, as it’s one of the most disjointed decisions in the history of cinema. Though if you’re a fan of hers, the film’s highlights are the moments she reminisces about her relationship with her late husband, René Angélil, and hearing her hits play in real-time.

Perhaps Dion’s casting was an attempt to mask Love Again’s nonsensical storyline and unstimulating romance, which is so far removed from reality that you’re left scratching your head as you attempt to decipher how it originated in the first place. And unfortunately, not even the magic of ‘All by Myself’ nor ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’ can distract us from it.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

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‘Love Again’ Review: A Pure-Hearted Romantic Comedy

Sony Pictures’ new romantic comedy Love Again , stars Sam Heughan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, has arrived in theaters. This film explores navigating love after loss and what happens when you open your heart to possibility.

Love Again follows two main characters. The first character we meet is Mira Ray, played by the lovely Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Mira begins the movie happy and in love, but things soon take a heartbreaking turn. With a two-year time jump, we see how Mira is dealing after the tragic loss of her boyfriend. This once-successful children’s book illustrator hasn’t turned in a usable art piece since the tragedy. Having effectively hidden her heart away through the process of grief, it is clear she hasn’t fully mourned her loss and the potential future they could have had. Sam Heughan plays Rob Burns. Rob is a music critic that has locked his heart away from love. We learn why when we see his fiancé left him a week before their wedding. This shocking and humiliating betrayal has turned Rob into a hermit that sits and watches basketball alone every weekend. His routine is disrupted when he gets assigned a new work phone.

This phone just so happens to have the same number as Mira’s deceased boyfriend. Mira has been grieving by texting his number telling him about life and her struggles. Through these texts, Rob feels like he has connected to Mira and understands her grief in his own way. Fate steps in when the two continue to meet in their daily lives making a true connection and bringing each other back to life.

Love Again navigates its way through the difficult topic of the loss of a loved one. Priyanka does a beautiful job of bringing pain and grief through Mira without letting the character drown in it. The audience can feel and understand her actions and the reasons behind them. Heughan gets a chance to let his comedic talents shine and brings a kind, understanding, Rob to the screen. One character that needs to be singled out is Celine Dion as herself. In her first role on the big screen, Dion shows a genuine and graceful spirit on the screen as she helps guide Rob on his road to Mira. The scenes she shares with Heughan are sweet and heartfelt. Also by lending a new original song, along with several of her classics to the film, Dion adds to the charm of this modern-day romantic comedy.

Director James C. Strouse has brought a sweet and pure-hearted film to its viewers. These characters are adorably awkward, and like us, have their moments of cringe. Through the tears, difficult first dates, singing in the shower, and sincere moments, they will touch your heart. The main takeaway from this movie is that grief will always be a part of us that is inescapable, but we cannot stop living. I recommend you stay for the fun singalong credits that are a perfect bookend for this nice simple romantic comedy.

Love Again is now in theaters. You can find ticket information and more information about the film here .

I am a Kindergarten paraprofessional & I love movies, shows, & books. I'm in many many fandoms & will gladly fangirl with you.

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‘Love Again’: Celine Dion Deserves Better Than This Lame Romcom

By Miles Klee

The first time Celine Dion shows up as herself in the mostly predictable romcom Love Again , she’s handing down icy answers to a room full of reporters asking inane questions about her upcoming concert tour. But our leading man, Rob ( Sam Heughan ), music critic for the fictional New York Chronicle , is distracted by some unusual messages he’s been receiving from a mystery texter. Dion chides him for having his phone on and inquires as to whether he’s going to ask her something. Rob fumbles, then pressures the singer to explain some of her esoteric lyrics about love.

“You obviously know nothing about it,” Dion replies. “What?” Rob says. “Love,” Dion answers, with perfect poise, to snickers from the rest of the press pool (and Rob’s acute embarrassment).

Rob’s mystery texter, you see, is an artist and children’s book author named Mira ( Priyanka Chopra Jonas ), who has yet to move on after losing the love of her life in a tragic accident. The film opens with their last, affectionate moments together in a café before her boyfriend steps out, and — in an unforgivable twist — is run down by a drunk driver before Mira’s very eyes. At least we only see her stunned reaction as opposed to the carnage itself, but the sequence is still a strong argument for subtlety in depicting trauma. It doesn’t help that her beau is a Black man, which means his abrupt and immediate death echoes an unpleasant trope from horror movies .

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Perhaps these missteps would be less noticeable were it not for Dion herself, who easily surpasses the narrative while on screen — and utterly dominates it through the soundtrack, to which she contributes five new songs alongside revered classics like “All By Myself.” She has the few laugh lines, including a throwaway about Drake getting a tattoo of her face , as she becomes a life coach and emotional guru to Rob and Mira, schooling them on the entwined forces of love and loss as reflected in her own romance with husband René Angélil, who died in 2016 .

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Love again review: just walk away.

Love Again is nothing but a chintzy promotional tool for Celine Dion.

Early in writer-director Jim Strouse’s Love Again , music journalist Rob Burns (Sam Heughan) receives his latest assignment: a profile on Celine Dion as she embarks on a new tour. When Rob, a defiantly unsentimental Scottish bloke, scoffs at the gig, his editor (Steve Oram) fires back by declaring that Dion is in the midst of a “Celine-aissance.” The legitimacy of that statement is debatable, but Dion is at least experiencing something of a cinematic boomlet, between the gonzo fictionalized biopic Aline and references in films as diverse as Turning Red and Queens of the Qing Dynasty .

In any case, Dion is the selling point of Love Again , with the Canadian pop superstar executive producing, performing new songs for the soundtrack, and co-starring as herself. The central narrative of this syrupy-sweet romantic-comedy, however, follows the romantic entanglements of Rob and grieving children’s book illustrator Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas). Two years ago, Mira’s loving boyfriend, John (Arinzé Kene), was run down by a car right before her eyes—a moment that plays out in abrupt, and unintentionally hilarious, fashion in Love Again ’s prologue. As a coping mechanism, Mira begins intimately texting John’s old cell number again, only now it’s been serendipitously reassigned to Rob’s new work phone.

Set in a sanitized movie version of New York City, the film proceeds to go through the rom-com motions. Rob quickly tracks down Mira and the two begin a whirlwind romance sparked by shared affinities (a penchant for sneakers and putting fries on burgers, his willingness to indulge her habit of asking “Would you rather?” questions), eventually opening them both up to the renewed possibilities of life and love. Hovering over all of this, of course, is the most tiresome trope of all: the Big Lie. Rob naturally doesn’t tell Mira that he’s been receiving the texts to her dead boyfriend, all to set the clock in motion as to when his duplicity will blow up in his face.

Love Again , which is adapted from Karoline Herfurth’s 2016 film Texts for You , would be indistinguishable from what you’d find on the Hallmark Channel if it weren’t for the Celine Dion factor, which makes it at least initially intriguing as a vanity project. Transforming implausibly from celebrity interview subject into Rob’s personal love guide, Dion’s role essentially boils down to parroting her songs’ signature lyrics as aphorisms to inspire him to win Mira’s heart.

If anyone could make the unbridled schmaltz of Love Again go down smoothly, it’s the queen of the power ballad herself. Yet, Dion is so conspicuously and awkwardly shoehorned into the story that it exposes Love Again as nothing more than a chintzy promotional tool for the singer.

It doesn’t help that Dion’s sage advice becomes suspect at a certain point, as she ultimately tells a despairing Rob that, despite the fact that his relationship with Mira is built completely from a troubling place of deceit, love means that “you work through it.” She then illustrates this point with an odd anecdote about how her late husband and manager, René Angélil, lied to her early in her career in order to keep her from dating anyone else. The power of love, indeed.

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Mark Hanson

Mark is a writer and curator from Toronto, Canada, and the product manager at Bay Street Video, one of North America's last remaining video stores.

16 Comments

Thank you for your review. This is a bold move for Celine Dion. Well done to her for having the courage to do this. looking forward to the next step for Celine Dion.

I enjoyed the movie. Thank God it isn’t another kill each other or bully everyone or Disney and Marvel characters beating each other. We desperately need more lighthearted movies to take us away from the tragedies we face everyday. Certainly it wasn’t a blockbuster, but in made me smile 😃 You should try it sometime.

Well thank you for your critique. If you hated it and gave it only half a star, I’ll defiantly Go and see it.

After a long day teaching high school students, it was relaxing to watch a love comedy that included one of the greatest singers of our times-Celine Dion! My husband and I loved the movie despite your review.🥰

To assign a movie a half star suggests that either you have not watched very many films or you are a lazy and dishonest critic. Are we to believe you’ve truly never experienced a worse script, storyline, film? The fact is many romcoms are premised on an innocently or not so innocently conceived deception “Big Lie” perpetrated by one flawed character on another. The characters are ultimately redeemed by love. Seriously, have you never watched a Rock Hudson/Doris Day movie? And do you really believe there aren’t plenty of guys out there who could rationalize their actions under similar circumstances? Silly, absurd, unimaginative? Perhaps, but then let’s talk about Guardians, shall we? lt’s what some people call entertainment and others not. You should try a little harder.

Love Again was a lovely heartfelt rom-com movie. Critics have no heart 💔 all you do is criticize and are blatantly mean.

Well your name says it all doesn’t it? Slant. Fortunately I don’t need, nor do I want a cynical critic telling me what I should or shouldn’t watch. Critics opinions are likec assh.les,, everyone has one. With the nastiness we’re dealing with now it’s nice to go see a sweet movie that’s a great escape. Your opinion holds no value to me, in fact it makes me want to go see it for a third time. Have a great day if you’re able but I have my doubts.

This was a long overdue lovely sweet romantic 💘 movie embraced with the beautiful music 🎶 of Celine Dion as she shared her story, I absolutely loved this & plan on taking more friends to see it again!!! Sam & Pri gave a heartfelt talents performance 🎭! So I give this movie 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Your a bitter angry sad critic… this lite hearted movie leaves one with Hope & a song in the heart ❤️.

Wow, nothing like a fun critic having a flatulence tantrum. sounds like me leaving a bad wine review.. Seriously,lighten up and accept their is a place for light hearted romantic movies. Now I’ll definitely watch it.

Agree with all comments above. Critic seems to be a nasty little man. Mve was fun to watch. Actually enjoyed the lack of violence. Personally I prefer this to the violence show which sets a nasty situation when young people watch them and buy into the trash. This critic needs to quit.

Love Again exceeded my expectations and was embellished by Celine Dion, not used as a promotional tool. I don’t believe that she needs this kind of promotion. I attended the viewing with marginal expectations and was pleasantly surprised on the upside. Well done!

If you are going to criticize, please get your facts straight. True, Celine is a draw, but for many, Sam Heughan is the draw. Plus, Sam is from Scotland but Rob was from England. I agree there were weakish spots in the writing, but it was a great rom com. It wasn’t supposed to be Shakespeare. #loveSamHeughan

I agree with the critic. I walked out.

Given that most reviews on this site attract no comments, it seems safe to conclude that all the contrarily laudatory posts on this thread are from Dion fans who have not given the film much thought beyond the fact she’s in it.

I know a rom-com typically has 3 parts–a getting-to-know-you part, complication to the budding relationship part, and a happy ending. In general the film did well on part one, but I noticed how the secret that needed disclosure wasn’t getting disclosed. As Mark indicated, this is painfully trite–a truly lazy slump into the familiar. When Mira went into totally predictable outrage, I realized the writing was an automatic pilot, and I turned off the film. What Strouse needed to do was simply stare at the wall until he saw his way to a more original part two.

Love ❤️ this movie. Possibly the editor never been in love, or lost their soul mate. This movie touched my mind, heart, and soul !!!! I thought this movie was based off of Celine Dion experience with grief. ⭐️

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Love Again review – Céline Dion is the high note of sappy romcom

A film about love after grief starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas works better as a vehicle for the singer than as a romance

T here is something about Céline Dion that melts the stoniest of hearts. The French-Canadian singer, arguably the queen of the power ballad, is over the top, completely unsubtle, soaring against the boundaries of taste. She is also cheekily sincere, a true weirdo and so committed to the bit that she makes extreme cheesiness fun.

Such is the primary draw of Love Again, the big-screen adaptation of the German novel Text For You by Sofie Cramer, which packages a throwback romcom starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Outlander’s Sam Heughan as a Céline tribute vehicle. And it is, unsurprisingly, the main payoff of actually watching the movie, which marks the 55-year-old singer’s first feature film role (as herself, of course). Dion, also an executive producer, is responsible for a conservative 80% of the film’s comedy and the bulk of its charm.

Which is tough when the majority of the movie, written and directed by Jim Strouse (The Incredible Jessica James), is about two thinly sketched characters in a very strange situation, albeit one ripe for tear-jerking. We meet Chopra Jonas’s Mira in a New York coffee shop, deeply in love with her boyfriend John (Arinzé Kene) and working on her next children’s book illustration. But then she witnesses his death at the hands of a drunk driver through the window. (Strouse keeps the camera on Chopra Jonas’s face, but it’s still too much, and not in the extra Céline way.)

This starts things off on a bum note, to say the least, and despite several sensitive moments depicting the frayed edges and primal instincts of grief (reaching for any smell of them, for example), the film never really recovers from it. But, two years into her loss, Mira must move on. Coaxed into returning to the city by her chipper younger sister Suzy (Sofia Barclay, whose lived-in encouragement picks up the rest of Dion’s comedy slack), a grief-stricken Mira begins to put herself out there – as in, a sub-par date with a Midtown bro hammily played by Chopra Jonas’s real-life husband Nick Jonas. To cope, Mira begins texting her raw feelings to John’s old number, now recommissioned as a work phone to Rob Burns (Heughan, Scottish accent intact), a glum music critic reeling from a broken engagement.

Two things break Rob’s iciness: heartrending text messages from a mysterious person he soon deduces to be the gorgeous Mira, and an assignment to profile Céline Dion as she embarks on her first tour since the death of her husband/manager Réné Angélil from cancer. The former is a a decently realistic and moving premise (I would probably do something similar) given a never un-creepy twist. (Although, to be fair, comparing Rob’s love for a stranger in a one-sided text relationship to falling for her much-older manager on the eve of the Eurovision Song Contest, as Céline does in a scene that left my mouth open, is gonzo logic befitting of the singer.) The latter is a great set-up, both for slipping in actual Céline songs, music videos and iconography and for witnessing Dion hand-act as a subject who turns every interview into a therapy session.

Céline has plenty to say about love being crazy, though Rob’s interpretation of it never feels right; courting a woman while having secretly read her texts to her dead boyfriend is a tough sell. (“This is a big problem,” Céline declares, correctly.) Chopra Jonas and Heughan have decent chemistry or, more accurately, the professionalism and experience to deliver surface-level banter with precise-enough timing to seem movie-level realistic. But unfortunately, only Dion can deliver this combination of cheese, camp, unabashed earnestness and exaggerated sentimentality. On everyone else, it feels effortful and a little cringe, as when a shirtless Heughan belts It’s All Coming Back to Me Now in the shower or when Chopra Jonas flirts via Rob’s primary language (basketball).

As it should, Love Again does conjure some genuine emotion – it’s hard not to feel something watching Mira read through old texts with John to Dion’s music. And it offers some treats for fans of the singer: a shot of Céline shedding a single tear while looking moved, a moment of Céline sing-talking, a chance for her to deliver the line “OK, Mr Underwear” and have it make sense in context. I appreciate Love Again for this far more than I appreciate its merits as a romcom, which it meets in fits and starts consistently hampered by the presence of cheap-looking text on screen (at this point, I would rather read a phone over someone’s shoulder).

The resolution is, of course, daft, even more so because Rob’s personality never extends beyond vaguely liking music, basketball and Mira, and it’s never clear why Mira would decide to forgive such a transgression. No matter – “I don’t really care if you and Rob get together,” Céline tells Mira over the phone, once again capturing our feelings in words. As a tribute to the singer, the frontrunner remains Aline, the utterly bonkers , unauthorized biopic by French actor Valérie Lemercier . But Love Again, by ceding some space to the Queen of Feelings, has moments that play. I can’t say it was good, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.

Love Again is out in US cinemas now and in the UK on 12 May

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Love Again Movie Review: Celine Dion's love ballads are the biggest highlight of this Priyanka and Sam's film

Priyanka chopra and sam heughan's love again is a film that aims to rekindle romance. with solid performances and minor misses, the film is a heartwarming affair, says our review..

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• Love Again features Priyanka Chopra and Sam Heughan.
• The film released in theatres on May 12.
• It is a remake of the German film SMS für Dich.

Release Date: 12 May, 2023

There’s a thing about art. It means differently to those who seek. So are music and films!

What’s common between classic love stories like Pretty Woman, Notebook, or closer home like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hum Tum? They all make you want to believe in love and fall in love. Love Again, a remake of the German film ‘SMS f¼r Dich’ is an attempt at filling that void on celluloid.

Mira Ray, (Priyanka Chopra) a renowned children's book illustrator, loses her boyfriend to an accident. Two years later, she is still reeling under the grief, driving his trunk because ‘it still smells like him.’ As a coping mechanism, she decides to text her sad feelings to him via text. In a predictable twist, Rob (Sam Heughan), a music critic, finds himself getting those texts on his newly owned “work phone.” Rob’s new assignment involves profiling the Queen of Ballads, Celine Dion (who makes her debut in the movie) who turns love guide for him. Mira’s sad text about longing forges an unsaid connection with Rob.

With this, love knocks on the door again! But it’s not so simple! Both Mira and Rob have a lot of things to work through. Rob is apprehensive to tell Mira of being the recipient of her texts to her dead boyfriend, or the fact that he literally stalked her out of curiosity before meeting her. But as Celine tells Rob in one of the scenes, “In love, you need to work through things!”

Director James C. Strouse makes sure to utilise every trope possible to ensure a classic rom-com experience. He succeeds to a certain extent. Although sometimes it feels more than Mira, he is not ready to let her move on from grief and sadness. But again, how one handles grief is subjective. James is very clear about this. This is Mira and Rob’s story with Celine playing the Cupid (in her own twisted ways), adding flavours from her real life to the reel one.

Certain scenes work more than others. The sincerity of the actors is very much apparent but the chemistry between Priyanka and Sam lacked the spark. Sam is unabashedly charming onscreen, although a better wardrobe could have helped both PeeCee and Sam. Priyanka holds the attention in emotional parts and helps get through the sappy portions without a sweat. Even as Celine is playing herself, she really is outstanding and a treat to watch onscreen.

A particular scene at the park where Rob inadvertently leads Mira to an impromptu dance is comforting and beautiful. To desi fans, they might be reminded of the iconic scene between Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the Indian classic, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. After all, love is all about listening to music everywhere, even when it’s not playing!

Celine’s new ballads, ‘It's All Coming Back To Me Now’ and ‘Love Again’ along with three new tracks for the fil,m are beautiful and heart-gushing. Her soothing vocals add much-needed warmth and fuzziness. Don’t be surprised if you hear the audience sing along with her in the theatres.

What’s love without hardships? What’s joy without sorrow? What’s a love story without melodrama? But, then again, cliche or not, to those who believe in love, it has the power to move! Love Again does that!

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Renee Cuisia

Celine Dion is a glowing presence, but it’s never a good sign for a cameo to be the best part of a movie.

What it's about

Love Again is cute. It’s cheesy and predictable, but it’s cute. Chopra makes for a fine leading lady who is able to switch between sorrow and sappy in a heartbeat. Heughan, though painfully generic, isn’t all that bad either; his hopelessly awkward attempts at getting Mira’s attention provides much of the film’s needed laughs. But outside of the bare minimum, Love Again doesn’t give us anything of value. The jokes are few and far between and the chemistry, if you can believe it, is even thinner. And for two people who are supposedly writers (Mira is children book’s author and Rob is a music journalist), none of their writings, much less their texts to one another, are particularly good. 

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Common Sense Media Review

Music soars in so-so romcom about how a heart will go on.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Love Again is a romantic comedy about finding love after loss; it's based on the book Text for You by Sofie Cramer. Singer Céline Dion co-stars as herself, using her music and personal experiences to guide main characters Mira (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) and Rob (Sam Heughan) on…

Why Age 13+?

Strong language includes "a--holes," "d--khead," "screwed," "s--t," "shut up," a

Skittles are positively and prominently featured, indicating likely product plac

Mira is mourning the death of her fiancé after seeing him getting fatally hit by

Romantic plot. Kissing. One character propositions the person she's been dating;

Alcohol is verbally and visually identified as a path to interaction: Wine to ta

Any Positive Content?

Lots of positive messages about love: what it takes to fall in love, love's endu

Mira and her first love, John, have an aspirational romance. Mira and Rob have i

Main character Mira (Indian actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas) is Indian. Her late fir

Strong language includes "a--holes," "d--khead," "screwed," "s--t," "shut up," and "that sucks." "God" used as an exclamation. Sexual slang: "get laid," "smash," and "get that D!"

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Skittles are positively and prominently featured, indicating likely product placement. Attention to shoe brands, with Nike Air Jordans treated with some reverence. Dell logo half obscured but identifiable. Céline Dion's music is heavily featured.

Violence & Scariness

Mira is mourning the death of her fiancé after seeing him getting fatally hit by a car (there's a close-up on her reaction as it happens). One push/punch given in startled self-defense.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Romantic plot. Kissing. One character propositions the person she's been dating; they kiss, and then the scene cuts to the next morning, when they're lying in bed together, sensitive body parts hidden by sheets. Bare male chests. Banter about "getting laid" or "getting that D."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Alcohol is verbally and visually identified as a path to interaction: Wine to talk to the dead (you have to see the movie to understand), margaritas on a first date, "champagne in a can" for a date in the park, and a bottle of bourbon in a breakup.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Lots of positive messages about love: what it takes to fall in love, love's enduring power, love being what gets us through life's messy and painful moments, the power of finding love after loss.

Positive Role Models

Mira and her first love, John, have an aspirational romance. Mira and Rob have idyllic creative professions: Mira is a successful children's author, and Rob is a newspaper music critic. It's Rob's curiosity, which turns into compassion, that sparks his romance with Mira -- although, through a different lens, his actions could be seen as verging on stalking. Céline Dion plays herself and shares stories from her life and marriage.

Diverse Representations

Main character Mira (Indian actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas) is Indian. Her late first love, John (Nigerian-born Arinzé Kene), is Black, as is Lisa (Irish Montserratian actor Lydia West), the co-worker/confidant of male lead Rob (White actor Sam Heughan). Rob's colleague and best friend is gay, which falls into romcom-stereotype territory -- although it does usually involve the leading lady's BFF, rather than the leading man's. Co-star Céline Dion is famously French Canadian. A White supporting character comes from an economically disadvantaged background. Mira's publisher is a woman who's depicted as kind and patient, but, if necessary, cut-throat.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Love Again is a romantic comedy about finding love after loss; it's based on the book Text for You by Sofie Cramer. Singer Céline Dion co-stars as herself, using her music and personal experiences to guide main characters Mira ( Priyanka Chopra Jonas ) and Rob ( Sam Heughan) on their emotional journey. Romance is core to the story: There's kissing, and supporting characters make blunt references to pursuing casual sex ("we're going to smash," "I'm getting laid," and "get the D!"). But their crass attitude actually makes it more meaningful when Mira and Rob thoughtfully decide to become intimate. (After they do, the scene cuts to the morning after, with them lying under the covers, only backs and shoulders shown.) Mira sees her boyfriend get fatally hit by a car. Characters drink, and language includes "d--khead," "s--t," and more. While there are lots of positive messages about the power of love, some viewers may be put off by the way that Rob tracks Mira down using the information in her texts. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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What's the Story?

Two years after the death of her boyfriend, John (Arinzé Kene), children's book author Mira Ray ( Priyanka Chopra Jonas ) is still mired in grief, unable to move forward with her life. To work through her feelings, she starts texting them to John's old number, unaware that it's been reassigned to Rob ( Sam Heughan) , a music critic at the New York Chronicle . Céline Dion co-stars as a guardian angel-like version of herself, using her music and her own experiences of love and loss to guide Mira and Rob. (And, in a cute wink, Chopra Jonas' real-life husband, Nick Jonas , humorously pops in as a bad date.)

Is It Any Good?

It may inspire more hanky use than hilarity, but, as a heart grabber, this Céline Dion-powered musical romance dramedy works. Don't misunderstand: There's plenty to clog the pipes. Chopra Jonas is so electric with Kene and her real-life husband, Nick Jonas, that her mismatch with Heughan becomes impossible to ignore. And New York is treated like a character in the story ... which makes the fact that it clearly wasn't filmed in the Big Apple distracting (and then there's the fact that most of the cast is from the United Kingdom, and some are trying to disguise their accents).

But in a world in which movies like Mamma Mia! , Yesterday , and Blinded by the Light have already explored ways of making a movie inspired by a single artist or group's music, a romance that co-stars Dion as a sort of guardian angel makes its own sense. The film concept is strong, the dialogue is good, and the music is amazing. Viewers may well find themselves singing, laughing, and crying along to Dion's ballads -- and realizing anew that while great music helps us through challenges, the soundtrack of our lives is love.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Love Again 's use of Céline Dion and her music and how that compares to other movies you've seen in which a single artist or group's music is used to tell a story. Do you like that concept? Why, or why not?

Why is music so often powerfully tied to our emotions? How can song lyrics be interpreted differently depending on your situation and mood?

How does Rob's curiosity lead to his finding love? How did this character trait conflict with his integrity , and how do you think you would have handled the situation? Do you think Rob's behavior -- tracking down the person who's sending him texts -- could be considered stalking? How would you feel if you were Mira?

Did you spot anything that looked like product placement? When you see characters or actors using a product or wearing a brand, does it affect your buying choices?

A lot of love advice is given throughout the film. What stuck with you?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 5, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : May 23, 2023
• Cast : Priyanka Chopra , Sam Heughan , Céline Dion
• Director : Jim Strouse
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Sony Pictures
• Genre : Romance
• Topics : Book Characters , Brothers and Sisters , Music and Sing-Along
• Character Strengths : Curiosity
• Run time : 104 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : some sexual material and some strong language
• Last updated : September 12, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Love Again’ on Netflix, a Rom-Com Fueled By The Schmaltzy Power of Celine Dion

Where to stream:.

• celine dion

Amazon’s Celine Dion Doc Is Devastating, But At Least We Get One Cute Scene of Her Parenting Her Sons

Startling spasm footage of céline dion was included in raw documentary ‘i am: celine dion’ at her insistence, stream it or skip it: ‘i am: celine dion’ on prime video, a heartfelt, harrowing doc about a superstar singer in crisis, when does ‘i am: celine dion’ come out on amazon how to stream the celine dion documentary.

Romantic “comedy” /Celine Dion vanity promo reel Love Again recently wedged itself at the top of Netflix’s Top 10 , an occurrence that, last time I checked, was a sign of the apocalypse. Now, a baaaaaaad movie finding itself at that dubious-at-best streaming summit is nothing new – it just reignites all the usual questions that pop up under these circumstances, e.g., who’s watching this crap, is it REALLY being watched that much, is Netflix effing with us, will Netflix ever be transparent with its streaming numbers, why god why, etc. Priyanka Chopra Jonas headlines this drippy and insipid movie in which Dion plays a version of herself who’s a kind of love guru, dispensing romantic advice by reciting dialogue that seems inspired, if not derived wholesale, from Celine Dion lyrics. It also insists that we’re in the midst of a “Celineaissance” when A) we’re not, and B) “Dionaissance” is obviously the more mellifluous term, and C) this movie would be a rather audacious component of said pop-cultural movement, if it actually existed.

LOVE AGAIN : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: We can tell Mira (Chopra Jonas) and John (Arinze Kene) love each other, because they say it about 1,000 times a minute. Each. She sits in a cafe, sketching ideas for her children’s books, when he drops by to surprise her with some tropical Skittles, which are her favorite. He loves her and she loves him and they love each other and they kiss and giggle and he has to go and she watches as she walks out and the camera holds on her face as we hear eeeerrrtttttt-screeech-CRASH and he dies. Are we supposed to be laughing at this? No. But we are anyway. Nothing like opening the movie with massive tonal discordance! Title card: TWO YEARS LATER. Mira ain’t over it. She mopes around her parents’ house and flumps around in her big thick socks and shit, drawing sad, weepy caterpillars for her award-winning series of books about caterpillars. Her publisher is unamused. Sad caterpillars don’t sell. I think all this is a metaphor: Mira is a sad caterpillar, but in human form. It’s clear that John would’ve made her transform into a luscious butterfly, but he’s dead, and now she’s content to stay curled up forever in her chrysalis. See, like I says, METAPHORS!!!

Elsewhere. Rob ( Outlander hunk Sam Heughan) is late for work. Overslept on the couch in a depressive funk. Again? Yeah, probably again. He finally gets to work – a newspaper where he’s the music critic. His editor hauls him in the office and says Rob ain’t getting that podcast he wants to do and instead he has to write a profile of Celine Dion for her new tour. As a former music critic for a newspaper, I can say this should take Rob about five, maybe six hours to complete, because he’d also have several dozen other assignments to get to, but this being a phony-ass movie, it’ll take him the rest of the movie, which plays out over, I believe, several weeks (it’s a bit fudgy). Why? Because this is how phony-ass movies work. Anyway. Rob is a sadboy because his fiance got cold feet and now he’s left to suffer alone with his grossly underdeveloped character. I mean, we know nothing about the guy other than he works at a newspaper with a couple of “colorful” coworker supporting characters. And he likes basketball, which we know because there’s a scene of him sitting on his couch watching basketball with a basketball on his lap, which is how nobody watches basketball, unless you’re watching basketball while you’re in a phony-ass movie.

Back to Mira. She has an uptempo sister, Suzy (Sofia Barclay), who exists to shake her out of this funk and get her to move back to The City and force her to use a dating app against her will. Mira resists, and settles on therapeutically sending her dead BF crushingly depressing texts. Meanwhile, Rob gets assigned a new phone at work and Kismet proclaims that it needs to be the dead boyfriend’s old number. Why Kismet instead of Mere Coincidence? Because Mere Coincidence has nothing to do with a purple-lightning storm over New York City that seems to inspire the eventual meeting of star-crossed lovers. Inexplicably, I might add. The story would function just fine without the purple lightning, but there it is anyway, and all we can do is shake our heads, roll our eyes and deal with it.

From here, you can piece the rest of this movie together: Will Rob read all the sad texts and fall in love with Mira simply due to the power of her words? Mmmmaybe. Will Mira go on a godawful date with a douche played by Chopra Jonas’ real-life hubs, Nick Jonas, because LOLs? Mmmmaybe. Will Rob lightly stalk Mira and force a meeting so they can fall in love and he canl never explain that he has her old boyfriend’s number, simply so the plot has a reason for a break-up-and-make-up third-act conflict? Mmmmaybe. And will Rob sit down to interview Celine Dion no less than three times, and end up getting sage romantic advice from the Queen of the Power Ballad herself, playing herself? Of course, because I think that’s why the movie exists in the first place.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Love Again isn’t quite a massive ego/vanity project like Cool as Ice or Glitter , but it’s definitely in the same ballpark.

Performance Worth Watching: I’m not sure any of this is truly “worth” watching, but it is kind of funny to see Chopra Jonas and Heughan attempt to kindle romance from a sopping-wet pile of rotten dialogue. 

Memorable Dialogue: Celine Dion Herself chastises Rob for being a schlub and points out that she is, indeed, Celine Dion Herself: “You have the presence of a pair of used underwear! Sit up straight! C’mon, you’re with Celine Dion !”

Sex and Skin: Nah. Just a post-coital snuggle.

Our Take: It’s one thing for a movie to entertain all the cliches of rom-coms, but it’s entirely another thing to do so with fists of ham, feet of lead, and brains of cottage cheese. Love Again does not play like the syrupy schmaltz of an oversung Celine Dion rager, the likes of which form a coagulatory bolus that lodges in the colon and takes weeks to fully digest; no, the film is more like raw fiber that goes down like donkey straw and rockets through you, leaving you bewildered, exhausted and a little bit sore. 

I know. I’m being mean. But to watch this movie is to experience molecular-level embarrassment for all involved parties. It’s a movie about death, grief, heartbreak, modern technology, the perils of stalking and the thorny process of healing. It’s also about CELINE F—ING DION, and don’t you forget it. For a movie that surely intends to poignantly explore the mysteriously magical mysteries of love, it left me with one piece of rock-solid life advice: If ever your heart aches, you should give Celine Dion a call. Or, if you don’t have her number, and she has a new album out (does she have a new album out?), you should go buy it.

OK, she doesn’t have a new album out. But she recorded five new songs for this film, which showcases them whenever we’re supposed to have an emotional response to the characters’ predicaments, as if Celine Dion Her F—ing Self was gently taking your hand and whispering in your ear what you need to be feeling. Now, this is the point in the review where the critic expresses their exasperation by addressing the reader directly: Reader, I resisted feeling those feelings. It wasn’t difficult, because this movie’s characters are empty souls stuck in a hopelessly contrived, zero-credibility when’s-the-other-shoe-gonna-drop/sitting-on-an-atomic-bomb-waiting-for-it-to-go-off rom-com plot that briefly stirs some romantic juices two but has the comedy acumen of a dead-eyed hammerhead shark stalking a halibut. My heart does not go on for this movie; yours probably won’t either.

Our Call: Shoulda called it Facepalm: The Movie . SKIP IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Love Again Movie

Who's Involved:

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Basil Iwanyk, Celia Imrie, Sam Heughan, Russell Tovey, Omid Djalili, Jim Strouse, Céline Dion

Release Date:

Friday, May 5, 2023 Nationwide

Plot: What's the story about?

What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number… not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns’ new work phone. A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person…and win her heart.

3.79 / 5 stars ( 19 users)

Poll: Will you see Love Again?

Who stars in Love Again: Cast List

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

We Can Be Heroes, Disney's Planes  

Sam Heughan

Everest, The Spy Who Dumped Me  

Russell Tovey

The Pirates! Band of Misfits, The History Boys  

Omid Djalili

Journey to Bethlehem, Modigliani  

Celia Imrie

Mummies, Bridget Jones's Baby  

Céline Dion

I Am: Celine Dion  

Who's making Love Again: Crew List

A look at the Love Again behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director Jim Strouse last directed The Incredible Jessica James . The film's writer Jim Strouse last wrote The Incredible Jessica James .

Jim Strouse

Screenwriters

Production Company

Thunder Road Pictures

Watch Love Again Trailers & Videos

Official Trailer #2

Official Trailer

Production: what we know about love again.

• Remake of the 2016 German-language film "SMS Fur Dich"

Filming Timeline

• 2023 - February : The film was set to Completed  status.
• 2022 - April : The film was set to Post-Production  status.
• 2019 - May : The film was set to Pre-Production  status.

Love Again Release Date: When was the film released?

Love Again was a Nationwide release in 2023 on Friday, May 5, 2023 . There were 10 other movies released on the same date, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 , Johnny & Clyde and Double Life .

Love Again DVD & Blu-ray Release Date: When was the film released?

Love Again was released on DVD & Blu-ray on Tuesday, July 18 , 2023 .

Q&A Asked about Love Again

Seen the movie? Rate It!

Also known as

• Text For You
• It's All Coming Back to Me

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Follow the Updates

• Sun., Jun. 4, 2023 from Amazon
• added the US Blu-ray release date of July 18, 2023
• added the US DVD release date of July 18, 2023
• Fri., Apr. 28, 2023
• added photos to the photos gallery
• added Official Trailer #2 to movie trailers & videos
• set the MPAA rating to PG-13 for some sexual material and some strong language
• changed the US film release date from May 12, 2023 to May 5, 2023
• set film release to Nationwide
• added a photo to the photo gallery
• added a poster to the photo gallery

Looking for more information on Love Again?

Official movie site + social media links.

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• Official Twitter
• Official Site

Across the Web

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• Buy on Amazon
• More Info on IMDb

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'Love Again': Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything We Know so Far About the Romantic Comedy

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Remaking foreign language films has been a trend in Hollywood for almost a century, with the first remake dating back as early as the 1930s. While many such films end up getting lost in the translation, remaking foreign language films allows a wider audience to experience the bliss of already-loved stories. The success of movies like Scarlet Street , the 1945 noir tragedy by Fritz Lang , which is a remake of Jean Renoir ’s 1931 French movie La Chienne paved the way for directors and producers to continue this trend in cinema. Some of these remakes have gone on to win big at the Academy Awards , including last year's Best Picture winner CODA , which was a remake of the French film La Famille Bélier .

SMS für Dich , which translates to "SMS for You," is a 2016 German-language film that will receive an English-language remake and be released in 2023, adding to the list of remakes. The 2009 book of the same name by Sofie Cramer served as the inspiration for the movie. Previously known as Text For You , and then It's All Coming Back To Me , Celine Dion officially announced the film's new title, Love Again on November 2, 2022, on her Instagram. Here is everything we know so far about the upcoming remake which boasts a talented star cast.

Related: The Best Romantic Comedy of Each Decade Since the 1930s

What Is the Release Date of Love Again?

The Sony Pictures and Screen Gems movie did not just receive multiple titles but release dates too. The film was first scheduled for release on February 10th, 2023. The film's release was then moved forward 3 months from February to May 2023, as announced in November 2022. Love Again is now set to be released on May 12, 2023 .

Where Can You Watch Love Again?

Love Again will be distributed exclusively in the theaters in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on May 12, 2023.

What Is the Plot of Love Again?

The official synopsis for Love Again by Screen Gems, the production company reads:

What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number...not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns' new work phone. A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he's assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person...and win her heart.

The film's plot closely follows that of the original German language film, SMS für Dich . The female protagonist is now named Mira Ray, who loses her fiancé. Unable to let go and as a way to cope with the loss, she keeps sending texts to his phone number even two years after his death. However, it is unknown to her that the number is in use again. The person receiving the texts now is Rob Burns, a journalist captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. The film poses a question of fate that brings the two individuals together under the most unexpected circumstances. As he is assigned to write the profile of the megastar Celine Dion, Rob asks Celine for assistance in finding out how to meet Mira in person and impress her, resulting in a beautiful rom-com.

Watch the Trailer for Love Again

The first official trailer for Love Again was released by Sony Pictures on their YouTube channel on February 14, 2023, just in time for Valentine's Day. The trailer plays out how many romcom trailers do, as Mira and Rob begin to fall in love.

What Is Love Again Based On?

Though Love Again is a remake of SMS für Dich , a 2016 German-language film, SMS für Dich is also an on-screen adaptation of Sofie Cramer's novel of the same name. SMS für Dich starred Karoline Herfurth and Friedrich Mücke in the first effort by actress Herfurth as writer and director of a full-feature film. Whether Love Again faithfully follows the original film or makes changes to suit the English-speaking audience is yet to be uncovered.

Who Is in Love Again?

The romantic comedy-drama boasts a talented star cast to match the charm of the original. Love again is led by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan along with Celine Dion, Russell Tovey ( Being Human ), Steve Oram ( The World's End ), Omid Djalili ( The Mummy ), Sofia Barclay ( Ted Lasso ), Lydia West ( It's a Sin ), Arinzé Kene ( I'm Your Woman ), and Celia Imrie ( The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ).

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is known for her portrayal of Alex Parrish in the ABC thriller series Quantico , Victoria Leeds in Baywatch , and recently as Sati in The Matrix Resurrections (2021). She will play the role of the protagonist Mira Ray, who is dealing with the loss of her fiancé but is led to a new suitor by fate. Though her character is a complex and emotional one, Chopra Jonas is known for her versatile acting talent.

In the same month of October 2020, Sam Heughan was cast opposite Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the role of a journalist named Rob Burns. He is the new user of Mira Ray's fiancé's phone number and is now receiving text messages intended for him by Mira. As time passes, he gets captivated by the beautiful and heartfelt texts and eventually develops an interest in Mira. Here enters the third important character in the series, Celine Dion. Heughan is best known for his starring role as Jamie Fraser in the Starz drama series Outlander.

Celine Dion is playing herself in Love Again, which also marks her first film role. Celine Dion helps Rob find and meet Mira Ray in person and guides him on his quest to win Mira's heart. In an episode of the Just for Variety podcast, Heughan also revealed that Dion has recorded a new song for the film. So, fans will not only get to see Celine Dion in the film but also get a new song from her.

The film's trailer also revealed that Chopra Jonas' husband, Nick Jonas will be making an appearance in the film as a man that Mira has an extremely awkward first date.

Related: Sam Heughan on Why He Hired an Intimacy Coordinator on 'Outlander'

Who Is Behind the Making of Love Again?

In April 2019, it was announced James C. Strouse ( The Incredible Jessica James ) would write and direct the film. The producing team Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee ( John Wick ), and Esther Hornstein ( Criminal ) serve as the producers of the film, produced under the banners of Screen Gems and Thunder Road Pictures. Principal photography for Love Again began in October 2020 and ended in early 2021. The filming first took place in London, after which production moved to the United States.

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