You’ve Got Post-it Notes

This is a version of what some call the Epistolary Romance trope where two people get to know each other through the written word while remaining unknown to each other, or sometimes antagonists, in real life. You know, like Shop Around the Corner which You’ve Got Mail was based on. Or an old 1950s era movie, A Letter for Evie, which many probably don’t know (but which I highly recommend for fans of this trope). This one shares a device with a popular English romance novel and later TV series, The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary , in which two people share an apartment, one at night and one during the day and communicate using post-it notes.

Liv (Janel Parrish) is the Director of Corporate Strategy for a large tech conglomerate who works closely with the eccentric founder and head honcho. Her boss Walter obsesses over trivialities and “peacocks around” while she does the real work. She tactfully manages him and he depends on her loyalty and support (though he doesn’t know it.) She mostly works remotely from home, and has her routine down pat which is just the way she likes it. The huge firm has just purchased a boutique social media platform that is art and artist related. Tom is the Head of Design for this company. He is more of a free spirit, being of an artistic bent and all, which is the opposite of Liv. During a video call with all of the important officers of the firm and the “newbies” including Tom, Walter announces that he is instituting a “return to office” policy as part of his “vision.” But now having more employees than office space they will work alternate days and share desks. Liv and Tom end up paired up with the same desk. Liv works in the office Mondays and Wednesdays and Tom is at the desk Tuesdays and Thursdays. They work out the Desk-ual politics by means of communicating with post-it notes ( succulent v. rubber duck, a messy trash can v. a neat one, food left to fester, etc.) Poor desk being very much an innocent bystander caught in the middle. At first hostile, they quickly work out their differences and the friendship progresses to text messages, which start to get personal. When they meet and work together in real life the business end of the relationship also progresses, while they are both still unaware that Liv is his “Ms. Monday”, and he is her “Mr. Tuesday”. That is until Liv, who volunteers at the assisted living facility in which Tom’s mom lives, gets to know her, and in conversation, her son Tom’s dual identity as Mr. Tuesday is revealed.

Complications, continued flirting, dilemmas, matchmaking mamas, and workplace drama ensue. I won’t go into all that because it’s a lot, but  just stop there and say what I liked about this movie. Besides a nicely written script (despite a lot of suspension of disbelief being required) I really liked the chemistry between Liv and Tom in both versions of their relationship. They were both very likable, despite Liv’s not standing up to her egotistical and volatile boss when he gets stupid. I loved that Tom calls her out on her lack of backbone, not standing up for what is right, and being a “yes-woman.” And I really loved that Liv did not get all pissy over his criticism but took it to heart and started to rethink her approach. I also liked that Tom’s mother defended Liv by reminding him that he had never had to answer to a demanding boss, work for a promotion, or be a team player.   Acknowledgement that things are not all black and white and can get complicated. I liked that no one says “It’s Complicated.” When, in this movie, for once, it really was.  Christopher Shyer was great as Walter, taking his character from a silly caricature of an Elon Musk-type to vaguely menacing to an outright villain. At the end, Liv and Tom see that their individual strengths and weaknesses make for an unbeatable team, professionally and personally. I also liked that Hallmark tackled the phenomenon of AI encroaching on and replacing human creativity. They don’t approve. Although our couple have a brief parting of the ways before the end, it is not due to some stupid misunderstanding. Very much a fan of that.

The only quibble I have is that I would have really liked to see an epilogue. Although Walter gets his just deserts somewhat, I would have loved to see him suffer more and have the consequences of his actions come home to roost in a more spectacular fashion. I also would have liked to see more closure to the couples partnership and love story. **7 1/2 stars**