The Greatest Hits

I thought the movie would have had a bit more adventure, as time travel was the main plot device. Over time the script became dull and a lot of the music was a distractor as opposed to tying in with the story. The writers needed to smooth out the rough edges on the script and simplify the story a bit. For example, the therapist, Harriet's best friend, and David's sister were useless characters who had nothing to contribute. I did appreciate the chemistry between David and Harriet, and that both characters suffered an immeasurable amount of grief.

If you're a record collector or someone who is a sucker for romantic movies that tug at your heart strings, you might like this. From my perspective, the fun moments were infrequent and forced. Think of the movie as a Powerpoint presentation that moves so quickly, that you don't have time to take in the details.

This film has taken a good idea already used in Press Play and made an awful film. I watched them promote this on The One Show who clearly didn't do any research as they said what a great unique idea! The music used which is supposed to be the greatest hits are bad in my opinion. It feels like you never care about the main female character as it always feels like the film starts half way through which means you never care about any of the characters or the relationship with the dead boyfriend which you know nothing about. Watch Press Play it's loads better I actually read a review that said the opposite which I clearly don't agree with.

Greetings again from the darkness. If you are one for whom hearing a particular song, no matter how many times over however many years, brings back vivid memories of a person close to you or a memorable event, then you will likely relate to Harriet, the lead character in this film from writer-director Ned Benson (THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY, 2014). Additionally, if you have tragically lost someone special to you and find yourself cloaked in unshakeable grief, then you will also likely find common ground with Harriet.

Harriet (Lucy Boynton, so good in SING STREET, 2016) wears noise-cancelling headphones whenever she is in public. She is so concerned with controlling the songs she hears, that she now works in a library for the serenity that silence brings. These steps are for a good reason ... they protect her from instantaneously being transported back in time to a specific moment with her beloved boyfriend Max (David Corenswet, "Hollywood" mini-series, and he's the new Superman). For Harriet, these aren't merely flashbacks or memories - she is physically transported back in time when she hears a song. Rather than HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, she's living "Hi-Fidelity Time Machine". Her trip only lasts as long as the song is playing, yet she has no control. Once back in real time, she is viewed as having had a seizure. It's frightening stuff for her. However, instead of being concerned about her health, she is intent on finding the song that takes her back to the moment she can change the past and prevent the accident that cost Max his life.

Harriet's BFF Morris (Austin Crute, BOOKSMART, 2019), a local DJ, has been very supportive of her grief, but it's been two years since Max died, and Morris wants his friend to move on with life. Hope springs when Harriet meets David (a terrific Justin Min, "Beef") at a grief counseling group event. The two are understandable tentative around each other, yet it's obvious David is a good dude with the necessary patience to allow her to work through her grief. Harriet's case of déjà vu with David comes full circle, and adds a nice touch to the delicate situation they find themselves locked in.

Wanting to change the past is something we have all thought of at one time or another, yet the physical transformations that Harriet experiences feel like something beyond science fiction, and bordering on psychological torture. Filmmaker Benson has delivered a film that is simultaneously relatable, while also landing pretty far outside the box. There is a throwback feeling here, despite the characters feeling very much of this day. As you might expect, the soundtrack is quite varied with some deep cuts ... with Roxy Music being a key. Although there may not be any big surprises in how the story unfolds, the characters are so relatable, and it's so well acted, that we find ourselves pulling for each of them to have a happy ending.

Opens in theaters beginning April 5, 2024.

And, to overuse a delicious quote from SEINFELD, not that there is anything wrong with that. The most interesting thing about this quite adequate film is the odd way reviewers approach it. It is as if no two pundits can agree on what they just saw? Some see a time travel film along the lines of THE TIME TRAVELOR's WIFE. Some see a deconstruction of the role of music in modern society. Some simply see a useful vehicle to move along the career of the always photogenic Boynton (who, for example, is all most of us can recall from the otherwise tedious IPCRESS FILE). Some even suggest that the film's auteur created this ambiguity deliberately to hold the attention. Which is, after all, the primary purpose of any film. Entertainment. Holding one's gaze. This reviewer, like Boynton's own character, sees all the possibilities at once, and each has merit.. But, unlike that character, will not attempt to change or alter any of them. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

This film was so well pieced together from start to finish. From the tiny details like the timeless timepiece on her wrist to the editing with the memory flashes. The acting was so much more realistic than typical movies these days. The dialogue felt natural and not forced or scripted. And the storytelling itself was just excellent! I was so impressed with this film. I was in a similar scenario as her and I have certainly been transported by music when it comes to certain songs tied to certain memories. For me, this film was like a daydream fantasy of mine that I'd give anything to be able to experience in real life. Absolutely fantastic from start to finish. 10/10.