Freddie Prinze Jr and Julia Styles star in a teen-targeting romantic comedy. Against a backdrop of life at college in New York, a couple take it in turns to describe the highs and lows of first love.
Coming off the back of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and 10 Things I Hate About You, both Prinze and Styles were in the ascendant in 2000. First-time writer-director Isacsson's film doesn't take either of them into radically new territory, but with its tricksy structure and high cute quotient, Down To You does prove an efficient romantic comedy driven by charismatic performances by two of Hollywood's most attractive adolescents.
Told largely in flashback, lovers Al (Prinze) and Imogen (Styles) take it in turns to describe how they met, partied and parted. The son of a TV chef (former Fonzie Winkler), straight-laced Al's love for arty Imogen follows the usual honeymoon-boredom-infidelity arc, but Isacsson employs a sort of cut and paste technique, scenes from the early stages of their relationship segueing into scenes from its end.
The screenplay, with its pithy one-liners, split screens and to-camera asides, clearly aims for an ironic, knowing cool. It doesn't always work, and some of the best moments actually have little to do with the plot at all: a prolonged fantasy sequence involving a reality cookery show is unexpectedly effective, as is a sub-plot focusing on Al's room-mate-turned-porn-star Monk (Orth). Finally though, it's a film built around its stars and if, towards the end, Down To You does begin to stumble, Prinz and Styles prove more than capable of bringing it back to its feet.
Verdict: An enjoyable and, in terms of style, unexpectedly imaginative teen-friendly romantic comedy. Prinz and Styles are solid and attractive, and though Isacsson's screenplay occasionally overreaches itself, a quality cast ensure watch ability is high.
Coming off the back of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and 10 Things I Hate About You, both Prinze and Styles were in the ascendant in 2000. First-time writer-director Isacsson's film doesn't take either of them into radically new territory, but with its tricksy structure and high cute quotient, Down To You does prove an efficient romantic comedy driven by charismatic performances by two of Hollywood's most attractive adolescents.
Told largely in flashback, lovers Al (Prinze) and Imogen (Styles) take it in turns to describe how they met, partied and parted. The son of a TV chef (former Fonzie Winkler), straight-laced Al's love for arty Imogen follows the usual honeymoon-boredom-infidelity arc, but Isacsson employs a sort of cut and paste technique, scenes from the early stages of their relationship segueing into scenes from its end.
The screenplay, with its pithy one-liners, split screens and to-camera asides, clearly aims for an ironic, knowing cool. It doesn't always work, and some of the best moments actually have little to do with the plot at all: a prolonged fantasy sequence involving a reality cookery show is unexpectedly effective, as is a sub-plot focusing on Al's room-mate-turned-porn-star Monk (Orth). Finally though, it's a film built around its stars and if, towards the end, Down To You does begin to stumble, Prinz and Styles prove more than capable of bringing it back to its feet.
Verdict: An enjoyable and, in terms of style, unexpectedly imaginative teen-friendly romantic comedy. Prinz and Styles are solid and attractive, and though Isacsson's screenplay occasionally overreaches itself, a quality cast ensure watch ability is high.