This Is Not What I Expected (2017)

The story is not very elaborate. It's simple and they don't dwell much on back stories of the characters. It's just a story of their "now" and I liked that. Other than that, I really liked the acting for the cast, especially the male lead. He was just more than a prick and had realistic sides to him that showed so. The actress is really pretty and I wasn't annoyed by her one bit. She was the actual reason I chose to watch it by seeing her on the Netflix poster. She looked so pretty and cool, and I wasn't disappointed at all after watching the movie.

Other than these factors, what got me was how aesthetically pleasing this entire movie was. It's a visual treat not only because of the food but also because of the sceneries and the background too.

The romance is realistic in my opinion as well. It's platonic but also emotionally intimate. Their chemistry is pretty good and pulls off that kind of depiction nicely. I miss these kinds of moments and romances. It was indeed refreshing to watch it.

It has rewatchable value (I wouldn't watch it until maybe a few months later, though) and it's also a cute romance movie you can enjoy with the family and the younger crowd. I would also recommend watching when you are having a rough day and need something that isn't too intense and just sweet.

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"Opposites attract" with "jerk male lead" is a standard and well-worn trope, but its execution here was awful and fundamentally misogynistic. In a Drama, the "jerk male lead" will end up somehow "redeeming" himself by doing something, usually several somethings, that prove he really cares for the female lead.

But in this Drama, ALL the giving was one way. The ONLY thing the male lead ever did for the female lead was not something she wanted him to do. It was an unhealthy, basically abusive relationship, she did everything he wanted, he took over her life, he did NOTHING for her, nothing at all that benefited her or put her interests ahead of his, ever. I would happily challenge any fan of the film to name one positive thing he did for her. Even the very final scene shows him giving her an order and shows her complying with it, exactly as always throughout the film. Very troubling.

I found this even more annoying because I really liked the two leads. They sparked well, and had the relationship been more even, more give and take, the chemistry could have made this a really solid example of the genre. An opportunity missed, but I''ll definitely be looking out for the very lovely, and very busy, Ms Zhou again

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