An interesting idea explored in a range of movies -- how a person's life could've been different if some factor was changed -- is expanded to involve couples. In Four to Dinner, the idea is explored through the lens of whether soulmates exist.
The film cleverly sets up the main characters through a pair of introductions -- first, two friends tell another couple about the scenario, and then, the four single adults meet for the first time at the same friends' Roman rooftop terrace.
From there, the film weaves back and forth in segments of different pairings between the two couples. Some of the back-and-forth gets a little confusing at first because some time changes are titled while others aren't, but eventually the divergent paths result in four different but interrelated stories.
The film could've been more tightly edited: at an
hour and 44 minutes, the length drags a bit. But the stories, actors, and setting all have their appeal, and the fact that all four possible pairs work out makes them all satisfying (to varying degrees).
Read the full review at Common Sense Media.
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