Love & Wine Review: Everything You Want in a Romantic Comedy

Netflix’s film Love & Wine is everything a romantic comedy should have and more.

From the outstanding acting to the perfectly timed humor to the compelling narrative, Love & Wine is a heartwarming, feel-good rom-com. Even though the storyline in Love & Wine is not particularly original, the execution is still excellent.

Ntobeko Sishi plays Ovee Sityebi, a billionaire heir who embarks on a transformative journey of self-reflection and purpose by switching places with his working-class best friend, Nathi Maseko (portrayed by Thandolwethu Olly Zondi).

Nathi is a particular highlight of the film, bringing in a significant portion of the comedy with his unexpected romance with Lena (portrayed by Thando Thabethe).

Nathi and Lena’s relationship is the secondary plot.

They may be an unpredictable pairing, but that is what makes their dynamic genuine and compelling. Of course, the primary romance between Ovee and Amahle is just as captivating, especially because of their off-the-charts chemistry.

Although Ovee hides the truth about his identity, he is still able to be himself around Amahle. Despite their differences, they complement each other well and bring out the best in one another.

The best part about Ovee and Amahle is the film’s comparison between their first meeting and Love & Wine‘s final scene. Both take place at Ovee’s father’s company’s festival, but a year apart. 

When they first meet, Ovee covers Amahle and himself in plastic to protect them from the paint, but in the movie’s last scene, there is no plastic to be found.

This key difference symbolizes how there are no more secrets between Ovee and Amahlee. They truly know and understand each other now, and Ovee and Amahlee still choose to be together.

Love & Wine‘s final scene is a sweet callback to their first meeting and the perfect way to end the film. Both scenes are full of color and in slow motion, hyper-focusing on Ovee and Amahlee. It is a great directorial choice that makes these two scenes stand out from the film.

Masali Baduza’s performance as Amahle Philliso is another standout of Love & Wine.

Baduza pours her heart into her acting, delivering an authentic, relatable deuteragonist. Her stellar performance makes her role on Bridgerton as Michaela Stirling even more highly anticipated.

Love & Wine has an incredible identity arc for Ovee that involves his tumultuous relationship with his father, but Amahle does not get her own individual arc.

While it is is Ovee’s story first and foremost, it would have been nice to see more of Amahle’s thought processes and decision-making skills surrounding her relationships.

The dynamic between Amahle and her best friend remains up in the air and vulnerable after their falling out, due to Ovee’s spiked drink. It is unfortunate that the movie does not portray more of Amahle’s life, especially given the personal hurdles the narrative alludes to time and again.

It would also be better if Love & Wine illustrates what makes Amahle forgive Ovee.

Presumably, Amahle forgives Ovee because he has shown compassion, proving her wrong through his work in opening clinics in South Africa for those who cannot afford hospitals.

However, Amahle has a strong conviction against dating wealthy people — it is partly why Ovee keeps up his charade for so long. A better demonstration as to why she forgave him would round out the storyline and strengthen the final scene.

Despite a couple of setbacks, Love & Wine is still an excellent romantic comedy well-worth watching.

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Love & Wine is available to watch on Netflix.

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