Wish You Were Here

Although the memory of this film might not stick around for as long as that of a lost love, it more than earns the postcard sentimentality of its title.

Something about the rhythm feels off: too many pauses, not enough of the propulsion necessary to make the movie sing.

Despite lacking an original premise and depth within the storyline, Wish You Were Here boasts excellent lead performances and strong filmmaking from Stiles.

The reason Wish You Were Here fails as a romance is a simple one: The romance isn't really there.

This is by no means the worst tearjerker that you will ever see and Stiles shows just enough skill as a director to make you want to see what she can accomplish with stronger material but in the end, it proves to be a tale more tedious than tragic

It’s like the outline for a movie rather than an actual movie.

…a sweet, earnest, but sadly formulaic romantic drama that has its heart in the right place but hinges on a few too many tired clichés to get by.

When all is revealed, what’s actually happening here is so unbearably mawkish that all the genuine charm from Isabelle Fuhrman that the film was passably coasting on evaporates


It’s not challenging work, and it lacks essential warmth, as Stiles can’t figure out how to accurately measure Carlino’s melodrama.

Julia Stiles clearly has a strong future as a director, with a firm command of the visual elements of Wish You Were Here. At the same time, the film's script shortchanges major moments that the narrative hinges upon.