‘All That She Wants’ Review: Annie Murphy Is All That in a Fizzy Rom-Com That Works Best When It Isn’t Trying Too Hard

As we meet Emma, a spirited professional dancer played by the exceptionally spirited Annie Murphy , she’s about to turn her life upside down. And who can blame her? She’s in her 30s and her latest gig, a commercial for panty liners, has her slithering around in a Santa’s helper getup. At home that night, she suffers the latest indignities from her controlling longtime boyfriend — a brief, sharp turn from Finn Wittrock , dispensing put-downs while sculpting his jawline with gua sha. Presto change-o, Emma is single again, for the first time in 10 years, and determined to start a new career — huge upheavals, but in the exuberant froth of All That She Wants , no learning curve involves truly dangerous hairpin turns. Related Stories Movies 'Lemonade' Review: Newcomer Lewis Brophy and Barry Keoghan Lead a Paint-by-Numbers Irish Drama About a Teen Caught in the System Movies Seth Rogen Surprised By Toronto Career Achievement Award at 44: "You Got a Letter From My Doctor?"

The screenplay is by David West Read, creator of The Big Door Prize and, more to the point, a writer and executive producer of Schitt’s Creek , the show that put Murphy on the map. Read is well acquainted with the topspin that Murphy can bring to a line (or even a groan), and directors Scarlett Bermingham and Andrew Rhymer give her room to shine. But as much as the film is a valentine to Murphy’s comedy flair, it’s animated by an ensemble spirit. The cast includes a couple of certified topspin virtuosos: Zosia Mamet , who’s in ace form as Emma’s younger, married sister, and Christine Baranski , who’s called upon to deliver a mix of her signature sangfroid and also carry an awkward narrative thread that’s the movie’s least effective subplot. All That She Wants The Bottom Line An uneven charmer with a dazzling lead. Venue: Toronto International Film Festival (Special Presentations) Cast: Annie Murphy, Cooper Raiff, Zosia Mamet, Christine Baranski, John Gemberling, Finn Wittrock, Bill Irwin Directors: Scarlett Bermingham, Andrew Rhymer Screenwriter: David West Read 1 hour 44 minutes

As the love interest in the will-they-or-won’t-they story, Cooper Raiff — the writer-director-star of Shithouse , Cha Cha Real Smooth and the Mubi series Hal & Harper — brings his uncommon mix of wide-eyed earnestness and wiseass wit. His character, Luke, is the first guy Emma meets after leaving Wittrock’s Spencer, and the sparks are instant, the flirting creative, the chemistry genuine. That he’s younger than Emma is clear from the get-go, but it still sets her back a step when she learns that he’s a 23-year-old grad student who lives on campus. And it knocks her sideways when, in the clear light of the morning after, she sees his full name on his door and realizes that she babysat him when he was 4.