“Anyone But You” pitches itself as a modernization of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” not unlike the late ’90s-early ’00s boomlet of adaptations like “10 Things I Hate About You” or “She’s the Man.” Gluck’s cinematic reference points go back much further, however. The chemistry between Powell and Sweeney most closely resembles screwball comedies of the early studio era.
Gluck and co-writer Ilana Wolpert fashion the Bard into a classical comedy of remarriage. This early form of romantic comedy developed a series of innuendos in response to the era’s censorship, which forbade the depiction of what it deemed “immoral” acts like divorce and public displays of sexuality. Those overt restrictions are gone, and “Anyone But You” gets cheeky (quite literally, in Powell’s case) flouting them. But the film internalizes the logic that made those innovative classics work — people want foreplay, not consummation.
As Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Powell), former partners in a one-night-stand gone south, the two ex-lovers must fake the rekindling of their flame to placate their loved ones on an Australian destination wedding. There’s some of the standard verbal sparring as the two trade jabs at one another, attempting to defend their honor by cutting the other down. But where “Anyone But You” soars is the strength of the stars’ physical commitment to their roles.
The film opens with Bea’s introduction to Ben via public mortification over needing to use a public restroom, and the stakes only ratchet up from there. Through bodily movement, Powell and Sweeney tell the sensual story of their characters’ relationship. Their initial ease quickly curdles into unease and awkwardness that manifests in countless hilarious gags throughout “Anyone But You.” Sometimes it’s as pointedly obvious as the duo, tussling over a phallic-shaped firework in their hands, prematurely setting off fireworks. But at its most effectively realized, Powell and Sweeney translate the confusion of their characters’ minds into the awkward contortion of their bodies.