Vanilla

I thought I might like Vanilla, but I LOVED it! It was funny, surprising, and honest, with great performances and an excellent script. Highly recommended!

This is about a man who sells a van to a woman but then the man's ex-girlfriend wants to buy the van for a lot for a film production. The man and woman then drive the van from New York to New Orleans and that is basically it. It is trying to be an alternative road romantic comedy but it isn't that different to a traditional one. It also is one of those films where nothing really happens, which is fine as its about the characters. The problem is that the characters aren't really that likeable. They aren't awful they are just ordinary and plain with no overly likeable properties. In fact the best character is the ex uncle/boss of the woman. The film starts out really well and then there is a bit of a shock about the woman and then the film slows till it stalls and splutters out. I wouldn't pay to watch this film but if you can watch it free on demand then it may be worth a go.

'Vanilla' is the debut film by Will Dennis who also plays Elliot, who recently quit his day job to focus on designing and building an app and is still pining over his -exgirlfriend. He needs to sell his old van to raise money and in the process he meets Kimmie, a quirky fledgling comedian with inadequacies of her own. A lucrative offer from a production company for the van convinces them that a road trip would be worth the payoff, but the boundaries of all 3 relationships are tested and it takes you to places that are unexpected. This film is funny and moving at times. I fell in love with Kimmie and her candid observations. This is a charming independent debut film.

It's a very good down to earth well rounded comedy which avoids a lot of the tropes of a round trip comedy. Adding a lot of charm. Does well avoiding a lot of the cliches and by going it's own beat. Loved the ending

Aside from being shallow and full of inconsistencies with real life events, we reach more negative points (didn't see that coming, did ya?!). "Vanilla" is the kind of movie which tries to talk about feminism and equality and open-mindedness, but it fails to do so as a movie. I mean, a movie with cinematic merits. Anyhow, the idea is genuine, the comedy is acceptable, but the whole package of the movie, it just sounds a little bit shallow. Or out of order. Or, I don't know. Not catchy enough. Yet, I feel that "Vanilla" fails to engage the audience long enough to deliver the message. Other than these, meh. It's acceptable. I give "Vanilla" 1 star.