Broken Hearts Gallery offers no surprises, but it's a genuine dollop of joy

FILM REVIEW: THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY (12A)

VIEWED AT THE LIGHT CINEMA, WISBECH

CAST: GEARALDINE VISWANATHAN, DACRE MONTGOMERY, UKTARSH AMBUDKAR, MOLLY GORDON, PHILLIPA SOO AND BERNADETTE PETERS.

RUNNING TIME: 1 HR 48 MINS

DIRECTOR: NATALIE KRINSKY.

One of the things I missed most during lockdown was the cinema, so I was delighted to return to The Light on Friday evening.

The big releases aren’t exactly coming out thick and fast at the moment, but there is now a decent choice every week and I’m delighted with the one I made.

The Broken Hearts Gallery is a beautiful, uplifting rom-com that spreads a generous helping of the happiness and joy we all need in our lives at the moment.

It centres around quirky, funny and optimistic Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan), a twenty-something art gallery assistant living in New York, who saves mementoes from all of her failed relationships.

When she gets dumped by her latest boyfriend Max (Utkarsh Ambudkar) she’s inspired to create the Broken Hearts Gallery at a building being renovated by new friend Nick (Dacre Montgomery).

When word of the portfolio spreads, hundreds of New York’s single souls flood to donate their own exhibit of emotional hoarding, and the fun begins.

There’s no surprises in this film. She gets the success she craves, she gets the man she loves, and they all end up living happily ever after... but there are some truly delightful twists, some excellent acting and many really lovely feel-good moments.

Viswanathan and Montgomery shine throughout and are surely bound for Hollywood stardom, but the whole film is perfectly cast.

Lucy’s protective close friends Nadine (Phillipa Soo) and Amanda (Molly Gordon) are perfect foils for her adorable quirkiness, and Amanda’s silent boyfriend Jeff (Nathan Dales) evokes laughter without even opening his mouth.

I do hope the low audiences at cinemas nationwide don’t stop this film getting the love it deserves. It really is a cracker.

Jeremy Ransome

Rating 8/10

• And a quick word on COVID-19. The cinema, along with The Luxe, is carrying out all the right precautions to make sure your visit is safe as well as enjoyable.

Wisbech cinema listings...

Showing from Friday at the Luxe Cinema, Alexandra Road, Wisbech

Bill & Ted Face The Music (PG)

Fri 7.30, Sat 4.30, Sun 6.45, Mon 5, Tue 4.45, Thu, Sep 24, 7.30, Parent & Baby Screening, Mon 12.15, Subtitled, Wed, Sep 23, 7.30.

The Roads Not Taken (15)

Fri 5.15, Mon 2.45, Wed, Sep 23, 5.30, Thu, Sep 24, 5.30, Subtitled Tue 2.45.

Event Cinema: André Rieu Magical Maastricht

Sat 7.30, Sun 3.30.

Showing from Friday at the Light Cinema, Cromwell Road, Wisbech

Onward (U)

Sat 11, 1.30, 4, Sun 11, 1.30, 4.

Tenet (12A)

Fri 3.50, 7.30, Sat 1, 4.30, 7.45, Sun 1, 4.30, 7.45, Mon 4.05, 7.45, Tue 7.45, Wed, Sep 23, 7.45.

Bill and Ted Face The Music (PG)

Fri 1.45, 2.25, 4, 6.15, 7.30, 8.30, Sat 11.10, 1.45, 2.25, 4, 5, 6.15, 7.30, 8.30, Sun 11.10, 1.45, 2.25, 4, 5, 6.15, 7.30, 8.30, Mon 2.35, 4, 5, 6.15, 7.30, 8.30, Tue, 2, 4, 5.15, 6.15, 7.30, 8.30, Wed, Sep 23, 2.30, 4, 4.15, 5, 6.15, 7.30, 8.30.

Broken Hearts Gallery (12A)

Fri 5.25, Mon 2.15, Wed, Sep 23 3.50.

Unhinged (15)

Fri 8.20, Sat 8.45, Sun 8.45, Mon 8.45, Tue 8.10.

100% Wolf

Sat 11.40, 2.15, Sun 11.40, 2.15.

Black Panther (12A)

Fri 4.30, 7.45, Sat 2.30, Sun 2.30, Mon 5.30, Tue 4.10, 7.20.

The Eight Hundred (15)

Fri 3.40, 7, Sat 4.35, Sun 4.35, Mon 4.25, 7.50, Tue 3.45, 7, Wed, Sep 23, 4, 7.15.

Trolls World Tour (U)

Sat 11.50, Sun 11.50.

The New Mutants (15)

Fri 2.35, 5.20, 8.10, Sat 5.45, 8.15, Sun 5.45, 8.15, Mon 5.20, 8.15, Tue 6.45, 8.05, Wed 8.20.

Pinocchio (PG)

Sat 11.20, Sun 11.20.

After We Collided (15)

Fri 2.10, 5.05, 8, Sat 12.30, 3, 5.30, 8, Sun 12.30, 3, 5.30, 8, Mon 2.20, 5.10, 8, Tue 2.30, 5.10, 8, Wed, Sep 23, 2.45, 5.15, 8.

Break The Silence (U)

Sat 12, 2.20, 4.40, Sun 12, 2.20, 4.40.

Andre Rieu’s Magical Maastricht Music (U)

Sat 7, Sun 7, Mon 7, Tue 2.10.

The King And I (U)

Wed 7.