Office Romance

Jackie Cruz (Jennifer Lopez), plays the single, driven and tough as nails CEO of Air Cruz that was started by her father. She runs her airline with strict professional standards, including a no-office-romance policy that seems to be keeping things in check in the workplace. Those rules are put to the test when charming British lawyer Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein) joins the company, and he gets the opportunity to work directly with Ms Cruz on a difficult case. Yet there is something between the pair that gets started with one handshake. As their secret relationship develops, both must decide whether love is worth risking their careers and reputations for at the company and life. 

Office Romance attempts to blend two distinct romantic comedy traditions into one film. On one side sits the polished American rom-com, complete with career-driven leads, emotional misunderstandings and the inevitable pursuit of true love. On the other is the more cynical British approach, filled with blunt sexual humour, mature language and a willingness to take sexual tension to the extreme. Unfortunately, these styles fail to complement one another in this setting. 

Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein share enough chemistry to make the initial attraction believable, but the screenplay stretches credibility well beyond breaking point. As the secret affair continues, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that two people occupying such high-profile corporate roles could conceal their relationship for so long without consequences. What begins as workplace romance gradually becomes an exercise in narrative gymnastics that go beyond believability. Understanding this is a romantic comedy, this does take the genre a bit too far for any office setting’s reality. 

The film also pushes Netflix’s modern rom-com formula into more adult territory. While it never ventures into the explicit territory of Fifty Shades of Grey, it certainly flirts with the same sensibilities through constant sexual references and suggestive humour. For audiences expecting a traditional romantic comedy, the tone may be like walking in on your roommate while in a romantic moment.  

There are attempts to provide greater depth through Jackie’s relationship with her father, Captain Jack Cruz (Edward James Olmos), and her desire to establish herself as a successful CEO on her own merits. Yet these more meaningful themes are repeatedly undermined by her willingness to compromise her own professional standards for a workplace fling. The result leaves the character feeling inconsistent and diminishes the emotional stakes. 

Goldstein remains an engaging screen presence, although viewers familiar with Ted Lasso may wonder if Daniel is simply another variation of Roy Kent with a law degree and a nicer wardrobe who still lays down enough f-bombs and c-bombs to make a soccer coach blush. While there are occasional laughs and moments of charm, this romance feels less like a celebration of love and more like a commentary on modern workplace politics taken to absurd extremes. 

REEL DIALOGUE: What does the Bible say about protecting marriage? 

After watching a film built around romantic and sexual freedom, it is difficult not to consider what the Bible says about relationships. Like many modern romantic comedies, Office Romance places passion ahead of commitment and treats intimacy as something detached from marriage. 

Yet the Bible presents a different picture. Marriage was God’s idea from the beginning and is intended to be protected and valued. When Jesus was questioned about marriage, he pointed people back to God’s original design: 

“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Matthew 19:4–6 

While our culture offers many different opinions about relationships, Jesus points us to something deeper than personal preference or fleeting attraction. The Bible’s teaching on marriage remains available to everyone for consideration. The challenge is deciding whether we will accept God’s design or pursue our own. 

Where to look for more details: Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:22–33; Hebrews 13:4 

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