The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is an American sci-fi romantic comedy film directed by Ian Samuels. It stars Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen in lead roles and was released on 12th February 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.
Mark (Kyle Allen) is stuck living the same day just like Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow. He wakes up, his mom goes out for work, have dinner with his father and sister. Then goes out and joins his friend Henry (Jermaine Harris) in playing video games. He doesn't know how did he get in this never-ending loop, which is of 16 hours, and when it ends he woke up the next day. He tried to impress a girl by telling her directions but she doesn't seem to be interested in him. Mark, for many days, saved her from a ball from hitting, as he has lived this day for innumerable times. But one day a blonde girl catches the ball and saves her. Mark, surprised, tries to follow her and finds out that her name is Margaret (Kathryn Newton) and she is stuck on the same day just like Mark. They spend time with each other and Mark comes up with an idea to collect all the tiny perfect things in their town which they missed while living normal lives. Will these tiny perfect things help them to get out of this time loop?
Based on the short story and with a screenplay by Lev Grossman, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things will win your heart in every second of it. With a strong resemblance with last year's Palm Springs, which delivered so much fun and has a unique and interesting storyline, but this one is no less than that. Though it is not unique and is predictable at many points, but is it fun - yes! Is it entertaining - a strong yes!! As said, in not a single second it loses its grip and keeps you intrigued all through with throwing some top-level scientific terms - Temporal Anomaly or connecting with fourth dimensions.
No, it never reaches that level of science fiction. But it's Mark and Margaret, all the way, who takes you with them on the journey of their tiny perfect moments which we usually don't pay attention to in our lives. A janitor playing the piano when he finds the room empty, two children screaming in joy seeing their treehouse glowing in lights, an eagle catching a fish, or a girl who lands perfectly on her skateboard. If it all feels the same old teen drama tropes to you then trust me, there's more to it. It catches your attention with the cleverly and amazingly executed opening scene where Mark in a bicycle doing his magic, he knows everything as he had lived it.
He is only thinking about his problems until his sister Emma (Cleo Fraser) makes him understand to look at the problem from other ends. That's how he realizes what his father must be going through. This is all nothing as compared to what Margaret has to go through every day. Seeing her mother in pain on this never-ending day. These two beautiful characters give this film a fresh touch and keeps everything grounded and the unusual narrative makes this unique and beautiful. The chemistry between the two is sweet and effective and their interactions appear authentic and don't fall in the clichéd trope of regular teen dramas.
Kathryn Newton is breathtaking. She is so subtle and soft and effective as Margaret but the grief and sorrow are visible in her face in the entire film. She understood the character and played it convincingly. Kyle Allen as Mark brings the charm the film required. He did extremely well. Jermaine Harris as Henry, Josh Hamilton as Daniel, and Cleo Fraser as Emma have also done a reasonably good job in their short roles.
The cinematography by Andrew Wehde is lovely. The film looks gorgeous and the beauty of nature has been beautifully captured. The production design by Kara Lindstrom is good and the music by Tom Bromley touches your heart. The editing by Andrea Bottigliero is perfect.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is another beautiful film that you can enjoy this Valentine's Day. Kathryn Newton's and Kyle Allen's chemistry is refreshing and are earnest in their roles. The film is fun and never fails to impress as it has an ample amount of sweetness and doesn't become cliched or dull anytime. At this time, this is what we want, a perfect rom-com with little sci-fi and a big heart to absorb all our stresses for the next 99 minutes. Go for it.
Rating:- 3.5/5
Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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