With Valentines fast approaching, it’s that time of the year that a whole smattering of romcoms show up on various streaming platforms. It’s fair to say none will be able to touch the brilliance of flicks like Sleepless in Seattle or Notting Hill, but that’s not for the want of trying.
There have been various contenders over the years that have managed to deliver enthralling or original spins in the romcom genre, but Turkish movie Love Tactics is not one of them.
Love Tactics is not only bland and predictable, it’s also incredibly shallow and at its worst, undermines the character values of its lead female star, Asli. The gist of the movie sees a fashion designer/blogger Asli and a hotshot advertising executive called Kerem both believing they know everything about love.
Asli writes her own blog posts, detailing how predictable and awful some men are and instilling wisdom on circumnavigating these obvious clichés and striking out as strong, independent women.
Kerem meanwhile, is the typical player. He thinks he has women all figured out and knows exactly how to swoon anyone who crosses his path. So naturally, the pair make a bet with their respective friend circles, deciding to make the other fall in love with them.
If you’ve figured out where this is going, you’re absolutely right. There are a few tidbits about Kerem’s past sprinkled in here, and a couple of nice moments, but the second half of this movie completely falls apart.
I’m being careful not to go into spoiler territory here but suffice to say, Asli’s strong, confident persona completely falls apart in the presence of this big, strong man and the whole story turns into a tired, cliché-riddled ride.
