Jennifer Lopez's 'raunchy' Netflix rom-com Office Romance is savaged by critics amid Brett Goldstein rumors
Jennifer Lopez is back with one of her most dependable projects, a romantic comedy.But the 56-year-old actress and singer failed to live up to her former glory with film critics, who slammed her new Netflix movie Office Romance on Thursday, just ahead of its streaming release.Lopez – whose child recently unveiled a new name and gender identity – has been stirring up romance rumors among her fans thanks to her surprisingly cozy displays with her costar Brett Goldstein in recent weeks, but their on- and off-screen chemistry wasn't enough to win over the critics.Several reviewers took the new movie to task for what they thought was a tastelessly raunchy tone, and Office Romance scored more demerits over its failure to break out of the standard Netflix rom-com formula.Lopez stars in the film as Jackie Cruz, the CEO of Cruz Airlines and daughter of the company's founder, played by her on-screen father in Selena, Edward James Olmos.Goldstein, who co-wrote the film and produces it alongside Lopez, plays Daniel Blanchflower, an attorney hired by the company to prep Jackie ahead of a deposition. Jennifer Lopez is back with one of her most dependable projects, a romantic comedy, but Office Romance, her new Netflix film with Brett Goldstein (R), was hit with a wave of pans when it was released on the streamer on FridayAs the two work together to keep her company airborne, Lopez and Goldstein's struggle to hide their growing attraction from their coworkers.The fact that reviews were embargoed until just hours before Office Romance went live on Netflix was a red flag, as studios often allow critics to share their reviews well before a film's release if it's expected to garner praise, while an embargo until shortly before a release date often accompanies a wave of pans.Unlike its high-profile awards-season offerings, Netflix opted to skip movie theaters and only release Office Romance on its streaming service.Read More Jennifer Lopez's child Emme unveils new trans identity: Photos show celebrations and a new name For Deadline, Pete Hammond wrote that Lopez 'currently is queen of the failing rom-com genre,' but he criticized Office Romance for being suffused with 'outrageous R-rated raunch, rather than the kind of sweetness in other Lopez rom-coms like the criminally underrated.'He accused Lopez and Goldstein of not having the necessary chemistry to pull off the rom-com, and he complained about the rote nature of the plot, which is 'nothing we haven’t seen a lot.'At The Hollywood Reporter, Angie Han was dismayed by what she suggested was Office Romance's bizarre worship of working.'I do not dream of labor. But these people really, really do, to an extent that gives what ought to be a fluffy Jennifer Lopez rom-com vehicle a faintly dispiriting feel,' she wrote.Han felt Office Romance struggled to humanize Lopez's character, writing that it 'tries incoherently to have it both ways, portraying her as simultaneously a Miranda Priestly-level ice queen who’ll cut down an employee for breathing too loudly and a totally down-to-earth gal who’s just misunderstood.' For Deadline , Pete Hammond wrote that Lopez 'currently is queen of the failing rom-com genre,' but he criticized Office Romance for being suffused with 'outrageous R-rated raunch, rather than the kind of sweetness in other Lopez rom-coms like the criminally underrated' The New York Post's Johnny Oleksinski rated Office Romance one-and-a-half stars out of four and also criticized its overly raunchy humor, as exemplified by a scene in which Goldstein develops a visible erection the first time he meets Lopez; still from Office RomanceShe joined in the criticism of Lopez and Goldstein's chemistry, saying they never moved beyond the status of 'friendly coworkers who collaborate well on group projects.'The New York Post's Johnny Oleksinski rated Office Romance one-and-a-half stars out of four and blasted the film for an abundance of cliches, as if it was trying to revive 2000s-era romantic comedies.'I still love the genre. But the key to saving romantic comedies is not by replicating 25-year-old movies that haven’t aged particularly well with the same stars,' he wrote.While some critics thought the supporting cast, which also includes Betty Gilpin and Jodie Whittaker, was one of the film's few positives, Oleksinski wrote that Olmos was 'one of several famous stars who are totally wasted by this material.'He also questioned the judgment of Goldstein and his co-writer – and Ted Lasso collaborator – Joe Kelly, as they write a scene in which Goldstein develops a visible erection the first time he meets Lopez as if the interaction is 'super sweet,' rather than 'pretty creepy.'On top of that, Oleksinski noted that all of the film's humor about the difference between Americans and Britons was painfully stale.In the New York Times, Lisa Kennedy said Office Romance was overstuffed, as the writers attempt to 'cram a streaming season’s worth of character zigs . . . into a two-hour film.'Over at the AV Club, Monica Castillo gave Office Romance a D- rating and accused it of falling short on both the romance and the jokes. Several critics reserved praise for the movie's supporting characters, especially Betty Gilpin, who plays Lopez's 'work-obsessed pregnant deputy,' but others complained about wasted stars like Edward James Olmos, who again plays Lopez's father; still from Office Romance In the New York Times , Lisa Kennedy said Office Romance was overstuffed, as the writers attempt to 'cram a streaming season’s worth of character zigs . . . into a two-hour film'; still from Office Romance Office Romance still had its defenders, including Time's Stephanie Zacharek, who dissented from several of her colleagues to praise Goldstein for having 'enough charisma to stand up to Lopez’s high-beam beauty'; still from Office Romance'Time and again, characters overshare to the point where it seems like no one knows how to talk to other people, and those moments of cringe make up the majority of the movie’s jokes,' she wrote. 'It’s an unfunny bit the first time, and it doesn’t get funnier the 12th time it happens.'She praised Betty Gilpin as Lopez's 'work-obsessed pregnant deputy' and Arrested Development star Tony Hale, 'the company’s long-suffering HR manager,' who tries to stamp out Lopez and Goldstein's workplace romance, even as she agreed that Olmos was given a thankless, underdeveloped role.Office Romance still had its defenders, including Time's Stephanie Zacharek, who dissented from several of her colleagues to praise Goldstein for having 'enough charisma to stand up to Lopez’s high-beam beauty.'In Variety, Guy Lodge noted that Lopez's most recent rom-coms 'all had a tinny, televisual feel to them, centering Lopez, but not treating her with any palpable care or affection,' but he praised cinematographer – and regular Wes Anderson collaborator – Robert Yeoman and production designer Kristi Zea for helping Office Romance 'feel both comfortingly lacquered and reality-adjacent, which helped Lopez stand out.'Office Romance is now available to stream on Netflix.
