This Is Me…Now: A Love Story

Alida and Taroo is a storied Puerto Rican legend about two lovers fated to be apart due to the animosity between their tribes. This tale profoundly impacts the views of the Artist (Jennifer Lopez) on love and relationships. In the legend, Alida and Taroo conceal their affection until Alida’s father discovers their secret, compelling her to wed a suitor from her own tribe. Desperate for salvation, Alida beseeches the Gods, who transform her into a vibrant red flower. In turn, Taroo pleads for help and becomes a hummingbird to search for Alida.

In a dream-like reflection, Artist finds herself on a motorcycle ride with her rugged biker lover, Rex Stone (Ben Affleck). Longing for love, tragedy strikes when they are involved in a devastating crash that ruptures Artist’s heart. Determined not to let despair win, she draws on the ancient myth as her guide but struggles to mend her broken spirit with the aid of the factory workers, representing her body’s cells. “Hearts and Flowers” becomes her mantra, but hope fades as she contemplates her situation.

Back in the present, Artist opens up to her therapist, The Therapist (Fat Joe), describing her peculiar dreams. He finds them unique and reminds her that her astrological mismatches with his wife may be contributing factors. As she discusses her tumultuous relationship with Libra (Gilbert Saldivar), Artist insists astrology aligns them, though her friends express deep concern for her safety in “Rebound”.

Her close circle comprises The Cynic (Matthew Law), The Idealist (Ashley Versher), The Realist (Malcolm Kelner), The Lover (Brandon Delsid), The Quiet One (Alix Angelis), and The Fighter (Danielle Larracuente). After a heated and physical altercation, Artist decides to leave her Libra partner for good, which triggers a poignant dialogue among the Zodiacal Council, composed of various astrological representatives, including Aries (Jay Shetty), Taurus (Neil deGrasse Tyson), Gemini (Jenifer Lewis), Cancer (Sofía Vergara), Leo (Post Malone), Virgo (Kim Petras), and Scorpio (Keke Palmer). They ponder over her repeated romantic missteps.

Before discovering the root of her relationship woes, Artist bottomed out after three failed marriages to a Pisces, a Virgo, and another Cancer, each more disheartening than the last in “Can’t Get Enough.” Alarmed by her rapid relationship turnover and the rumors shaping around her love life, the Council concludes she must embark on a profound journey of self-love, away from their cosmic advisement.

As she continues her reckless pursuit of affection, her friends initiate an intervention, suggesting she may be a sex addict— a claim she dismisses with sharp critiques of their own love lives. During therapy, she ardently defends her belief in true love, maintaining that good people ultimately attract good things. On the way out, her therapist urges her to check out Love Addicts Anonymous. Hesitant at first, she ultimately joins, sharing her deepest fears about being the common thread in her failed romances in “Broken Like Me.”

Returning home, Artist confronts her past by burning old love letters alongside cherished childhood memories while a hummingbird—an homage to Alida and Taroo’s legacy—fiercely pecks at her window. The next morning, she runs into The Cynic at his wedding, which surprises her given his disillusioned view on romance.

During her therapy session, she recounts a vivid dream about traversing her childhood Bronx neighborhood, where she encounters a younger version of herself. Overcome with emotion, she apologizes to her childhood self, signifying a crucial step in her healing process that ultimately restores her heart in “This Is Me… Now.” Realizing she’s enough on her own, the energy from her self-affirmation resonates across the universe, ringing a bell at the Zodiacal council.

With renewed vigor, Artist attends Mike’s wedding solo, where a swarm of hummingbirds guides her toward her destined true love as the storyline wends through “Midnight Trip to Vegas” and “Hummingbird.”

Last Updated: October 24, 2024 at 08:53