Adam DeVine has never been high on my list of favourite actors. Ever since he played Bumper in Pitch Perfect (2012) and Mike in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), I decided that he just really wasn’t my style. However, his role as Noah in When We First Met has drastically altered that one-eyed opinion.
When We First Met follows Noah (Adam DeVine) as he travels into the past, time and time again in an attempt to win over the love of his life, Avery (Alexandra Daddario). Noah first fell in love with Avery three years prior, at a Halloween party where he became, quickly and emphatically, very familiar with the term ‘friend-zoned.’ Three years on and standing before Avery and her fiancé, Noah publicly celebrates their engagement while privately (or not so) drowning his own sorrows of love lost.
A magic photo booth ends up being his saviour as he puts in quarter after quarter and is magically transported through time, spat right back out to the morning of the Halloween party where he first met Avery. Each time Noah goes back, he lives the day differently and wakes up three years later to the consequences of his actions. Throughout his space/time journeys, the same three characters feature as a recurring presence in his life; Max (Andrew Bachelor), Noah’s best friend from business school, Ethan (Robbie Amell), Avery’s fiancé, and Carrie (Shelley Hennig), Avery’s best friend and roommate.
When We First Met was a hilarious, uplifting and refreshingly unique take on romance. Yes, there was still the same boy-meets-girl line and the classic love story that permeates all films these days, but the twists in this one were what made it a lot more fun. Adam DeVine perfectly portrayed his character, Noah, throughout all of his varying elements and seeing a new, adaptive side of him is what made me truly appreciate his talent.
Writer John Whittington kept the lines fresh and less than predictable while director Ari Sandel captured well the dynamic and development of each character. The acting was quite enjoyable to watch and again, Adam DeVine just crushed it. The kid is funny, I’ll tell you what, and his facial expressions are off the charts. Would watch again, for sure.
Fun Fact:
Once Adam was cast as the lead, the producers asked him to look over the script and re-write it to suit his comedy style.
COMMENTS