Most often when we are afraid, we become pessimistic. We think that the whole world is crushing on us. We consider the other as a threat to our lives. Fear creeps in through a traumatic circumstance we have encountered in the past. And the traumatic situation that we have gone through perhaps doesn’t allow us to take the next step. Director Filip Zylber’s ‘Squared Love’, released in 2021, gave us a power-packed romantic comedy. In ‘Squared Love All Over Again,’ he addresses the issue of fear and relationships. He makes the characters, as well as the audience, uncomfortable by introducing fresh and intriguing issues.
It is commendable to see how the director has managed to tell a story about two individuals whose lives are very different from each other but turn topsy-turvy for a certain reason. Stefan Tkaczyk ‘Enzo’ (Mateusz Banasiuk) is a famous journalist who loses his job, and his career is almost shattered. Monika Grabarczyk (Adrianna Chlebicka) is a teacher. She is manipulated by Rafal Wisniewski (Mikolaj Roznerski) despite continuous disapproval to take up hosting a children’s talent show. Monika does it because of the children. But then everything is rigged, from the talent show to distorting her fantabulous life with Enzo.
Squared Love All Over Again (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
After the Vacation: Monika, the Superstar Enzo’s
Both Monika and Enzo just returned from the best vacation of their lives, but a lot has happened. The face of Monika on the cover page of magazines has made her a fashion icon to be looked up to. The customers at a shop gaze at her beauty and want an autograph from her. She gains the attention of everyone she passes by at the school. The class that Monika teaches has parents wanting their children to be admitted and taught by the model. The school principal (Tomasz Karolak) explains to the parents that the other teachers at the school are equally good, but to no avail.
After the Vacation: Enzo’s Growing Infamous Personality
When someone asks for an autograph, Enzo thinks that they are asking him. Rather, they are asking Monika. He sees the shift of attention right before him. He confidently returns the borrowed car to Monika’s father (Miroslaw Baka), rating it absolutely beyond compare. His walk to the workplace portrays him as though he is out to conquer the world, only to learn that he is sacked from the job. He doesn’t believe it and therefore wants to meet Alicja (Miroslaw Baka), who he thinks will salvage the situation. But the company has terminated all of his contracts. Hence, he loses access to his company card, sports cars, and cell phone. It certainly is a blow to his confidence, and he is unable to accept that he is fired from the company.
New Start for one & an Impasse for the other
Monika is set definitely to conquer no matter what. In an interview to bid farewell to Klaudia (pseudonym for a mysterious model that she was), she responds to every question that Rafal asks in a quirky arrogance, surprising the crowd. This, yet again, leads to the pouring of offers to be a host for a children’s talent show. It is certainly a good new start for Monika. It is certainly an impasse for Enzo as he sees every door closing, whether it is a new job, an advertisement, or a campaign of any sort. He wants to set things right, he wants to do the laundry, do the shopping, and be the perfect homemaker. But everything moves out of his control. Even his relationship with Monika seems to bring discomfort.
Addressing one’s Fears
Monika doesn’t want to be the host, but then she takes it up for the sake of the children. In fact, Rafal influences her to take up the job. To convince her, he also takes her to the orphanage. He narrates a sad story and wins the confidence of Monika. Monika goes blank in front of the camera. However, she gradually masters the craft. Enzo takes charge of his life and, in an attempt to convince Monika prepares dinner for her. Alas, Monika returns home late. He feels that he can still get his life back on track when he chances upon another idea to start a different show wherein he would interview people. Enzo pitches the idea. Although the idea is accepted, he is not accepted as the host. Literally, everything he tries fails.
Even when the relationship between him and Monika seems to be returning to normal, they aren’t able to agree on things, so Enzo moves out. Alongside this, there is another bonding happening between the father of Monika and Aleksandra (Monika Krzywkowska). Monika’s father fears living his life beyond his dead wife, whom he considered his soulmate. But then he wants to give it a chance and not be rejected by Aleksandra, who is similar to his wife. Aleksandra is also afraid to try the relationship but is ready to give it a shot.
No excuses but Confronting Challenges Head On
Monika understands that she was pulled in to host the show so that Alicja and her team could bring a rift between her and Enzo. She also becomes aware that the show is completely rigged. Thus, she and Enzo, with his newfound love of filming, decide to reveal to the audience the real drama happening behind the scenes. When the show should have been about the children and their talent, it was about the Television Rating Points (TRP), etc. This time around, Monika reveals that she loves Enzo for what he is, and Enzo realizes that he was being jealous. They patch up, and life turns out to be good. It is a new start for Monika’s father and Aleksandra despite the broken and dilapidated car.
Squared Love All Over Again (2023) Ending Explained:
What is cooking between Rafal & Monika?
Rafal, in a bid to convince Monika to do the show alongside him, had shown the video of the kids who deserve a chance to explore the dreams they have. Therefore, now to make his point more substantial, he takes her to the orphanage. He narrates his story that he, too, was raised in the same place, and hence he likes to contribute his salary to their cause. Monika starts to like him. And she begins to do everything she can during her time on the show for the sake of the children. Steadily and progressively, Rafal starts liking Monika and makes his advances toward her. But Monika is far from being manipulated this time. She stays her ground.
Monika truly loves Enzo, and despite the fights they might have had is not deterred by them. You might see her sulk. However, that’s because she finds herself helpless as Enzo becomes difficult to convince at one point. When Rafal is eavesdropped on by Monika while in a secret conversation is when she realizes that everything is rigged. So, despite Rafal falling for Monika, she is adamant and clear in her mind that Enzo is her soulmate. Enzo thinks to himself that Monika will fall in love with someone else like him.
Will Monika and Enzo Fall in love again?
The garage is the place where all the repair happens. In the garage, the relationship between Monika’s father and Aleksandra started to happen. While Aleksandra was trying to find a new relationship, Monika’s father was overcoming the loss of his dead wife. Monika and Enzo, too, initiate a relationship repair process in the garage. While he is anxious that Monika may choose someone similar to him, Monika makes it clear to him that she continues to love him.
Just when their relationship is getting right, they realize that the tabloid photographs were a big set-up. Furthermore, they understand that the show Monika agreed to do was totally engineered. Monika regrets having said yes to the show and is grumpy as she is helpless about the situation. But then, Enzo persuades her that there is always something that one can do to resolve a seemingly crushing situation.
Monika and Enzo decide to face their fears together and are in love again, proving to the world that nothing can affect their relationship. They set up the finale in such a manner that they invited all the children who had participated in the show and were eliminated. They present them as heroes and expose the makers of the show. Eventually, they improvise the whole show finale and help all children to breathe fresh air considering that they all are talented and need not be perfect as per the rigid standards of the world.
Is Rafal, Alicja & the Team Exposed?
No amount of evil can survive behind the curtains. One day or the other, it is exposed to the world. You see Alicja completely confused and unable to decide what to do during the finale. She walks out to stop the recording but is helpless. Rafal thinks that the attempts of Monika will be useless, considering no one will believe her story. But it is all being recorded by Enzo and revealed on the screen to the audience.
The director and producer of the show do not stop the recording as this for sure would give them the TRP they wanted. Alicja, out of her jealousy, tried to turn the life of Enzo upside down. She wasn’t ready to face her fears of loneliness and rejection, perhaps. But in fact, it was Alicja who had dumped Enzo for reasons known to her. Toxic that she was, she deserved the unhappy ending.
Rafal is exposed miserably and is not able to face the audience. He is left with nothing to live for. In comparison to the beginning of the movie, where he was flaunting his fresh appointment is now left at an impasse. When one does one’s job with conviction, no matter how many try to push you aside, your work will always be recognized, and you will be honored. Monika was passionate about doing something for the children. Despite being the host and famous for topping it all, she wasn’t affected by it, she remained true to herself and her passion. The director tries to inform the viewers through Kazik Malinowski (Iwo Rajski), who says, that she is not changed by the show at all.
Monika does show through her dealings that she has a squared love for Enzo, her work, and her passion for teaching children. Enzo realizes that his squared love for showbiz can be used to portray not the fake but the authentic. His squared love gives him back his soulmate. At the end of the show, the children and the audience are in squared love with Monika and Enzo, who kiss and let love take the lead.
Also, Read: The Square [2017] – A Clever Commentary on the Pretentiousness of Human Nature and Modern Society
Squared Love All Over Again (2023) Links: IMDb
Squared Love All Over Again (2023) Cast: Adrianna Chlebicka, Mateusz Banasiuk, Mikolaj Roznerski
Where to watch Squared Love All Over Again
