A Sudden Gust of Gravity

Boris (In the Name of Love) executes a bit of misdirection in this stage-magic-themed romance. Waitress Christina Davenport becomes the assistant (and soon the girlfriend) of Boston street performer Reynaldo the Magnificent, despite her complicated family history with magic and her distaste for wearing revealing outfits and playing second fiddle. Though initially unwilling to accept the support of medical resident Devon Park, who sees something’s wrong when he brings his five-year-old nephew to the show, Christina reaches out to him for help once both realize they deserve better than their current dysfunctional relationships. Boris is delightful in interactions where relationships are working well, especially those among Devon, his nephew, and the rest of his loving, if demanding, Korean family, whose portrayal nicely counters “tiger mom” stereotypes. However, the tragic backstories of the characters come through as melodramatic and somehow distant, and Reynaldo’s possessive aggression toward Christine evokes only a vague disgust instead of being terrifying. [em](BookLife) [/em]