Anyone But You’s Bea & Ben’s Relationship Is Made Better By 1 Clever Visual Trick

Although the chemistry between Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell was obvious in Anyone But You, the movie made Bea and Ben’s relationship better with one subtle but clever visual trick. The genre of rom-coms continues to be a popular and beloved one, and it has regained force in recent years. One of the most successful recent rom-coms is Anyone But You, which even though wasn’t the critics’ favorite, was a huge hit with the audience, breaking box-office records. A big part of the success of Anyone But You is the chemistry between its lead actors, which was subtly enhanced throughout the movie.

Anyone But You follows Bea and Ben, whose attraction after a great first date quickly turns sour. When Bea’s sister is about to marry the sister of Ben’s best friend, Bea and Ben find themselves having to share space and time as they prepare for the wedding in Sydney. To stop her parents from trying to get her back with her ex fiancé and for Ben to get his former lover’s attention, Bea suggests they fake being together, but their connection is a lot stronger than they thought – and a clever visual trick made this connection a lot more special.

Anyone But You Used Subtle Camera Shots To Show When Bea & Ben Are Fake & Real

Anyone But You’s Camera Tricks Bring The Audience Closer To Bea & Ben

Anyone But You begins with Bea and Ben meeting at a coffee shop and going to Ben’s apartment for what is considered their first date, which consists of grilled cheese sandwiches and talking all night. After hearing Ben talking bad about her, Bea leaves, and following a surprise encounter at a bar, they don’t really share time until they fly to Sydney for the wedding. Once they start pretending, the only true alone time they have is when they return to the house after being rescued from the Sydney Harbour. Ben makes a grilled cheese sandwich for Bea, mirroring their first date.

Zack Morrison took Twitter to explain how Anyone But You uses subtle camera shots to show when Bea and Ben are being playful and platonic and when their attraction is real. The shots of Bea and Ben preparing the sandwich and Bea burning her mouth are from across the table, marking a separation not just between the audience and them but between them, as well. When the attraction becomes real, the camera not only gets closer but it breaks the 180-degree rule, and the scene ends with Ben and Bea kissing, with the camera now on the opposite side of the kitchen bar.

These changes are more evident and have a bigger impact the second time, following their rescue from the Sydney Harbour and building up to the shower scene, but they’re also present during their first date. The camera gets closer and the axis breaks as they talk about their lives and get to know each other, and goes back to across the kitchen bar.

How Anyone But You’s Camera Tricks Make Bea & Ben’s Relationship Better

Anyone But You Did A Couple Of Things Better Than Most Rom-Coms

These changes in the camera shots during Bea and Ben’s closest moments are subtle and won’t be noticed by casual viewers during the first watch, but they still have the desired effect on the audience even if they don’t notice. This, along with the chemistry between Sweeney and Powell, makes Bea and Ben’s relationship better and more believable and helps the audience connect with them and root for them. These tricks also help make Anyone But You more personal than most rom-coms, contributing to its massive success.

Source: Zack Morrison via Twitter.