Jumping persistently between so many couples throughout the entire movie is a technique I've never really seen before, especially in how it so effectively sucks you in AND breaks most Hollywood conventions while still being relatable. Conception earns its R rating through edgy adult dialogue and sparse nudity without jumping onto the "shock value" bandwagon of tastelessness and pointless crudity.
This is a sweet movie at heart, and Stolberg's ability to navigate through a wide variety of characters that you quickly grow to love and understand without the slightest bit of confusion makes it quite a rare gem.
And, for any of us who know filmmaking- shooting it in ten days (at least that's what I read somewhere) with roughly ten locations (I think), one for each couple, is flat out remarkable- and it certainly doesn't hurt to have such an experienced, likable, recognizable cast filling out every single scene: it's not often (or ever) that every single face in a low-budget movie with so many characters can actually be recognized, let alone have been pulled from some of the most groundbreaking television (and some movies) of the last few years- though half of those cast are actually working on hot shows right now.
This isn't a cliché-ridden, formulaic romantic comedy where characters are forced to figure out how much they really love each other, then lose each other, then get back together in the end- it's hanging out with real people who subtly (if not sneakily) grow on you, straight through to a culmination that ties everything together in a very charming way.
