The Boy Downstairs

Uh... Err... Ummm... I... uh... yeah... No I mean... Yeah... Um... Uh...

If the above nonsense is hysterical for you, you'll probably like The Boy Downstairs. Characters with nothing interesting about them, not even on a molecular level, a story that's been done and re-done to death in movies, good sitcoms, bad sitcoms, and all the mediocre sitcoms in between... All that could be forgiven and forgotten, of course, if the whole thing was more than the sum of its parts: A funny movie, or a charming movie, or something that would at least hold the viewer's interest. Sorry, but no.

There is probably a target audience for this, no doubt about that. People who in their own minds star in Woody Allen movies, people who see some characters in a movie and go "OMG that's me! That girl is just-like-me!" and therefore give it 10 stars... People who want to declare a national emergency for any minute crisis they face (and I needn't point out that this "crisis" is always about an ex). People who think awkwardness, nervousness is cute and funny, even a selling point to the opposite sex... People who spend more time at Starbucks than at work or school. People who think starting every sentence with a 10-second "Ummm... Uhh... yeah but... No I mean..." nonsense intro makes your words interesting... Check out the main character in this film: She NEVER speaks a straight line in the whole 80 minutes. Always going "ummm..... uhhhh...." first. We should be glad she doesn't work at an emergency call center. The whole building would burn down before she could say "Hello, what's the emergency?"

You may think I'm being too harsh, or I "just don't get it" or may want to respond "Just go watch Expendables 5, you insensitive ignoramus!" but no. I love dramas, comedies, "dramedies" as they're now called, and I love movies about young people's insecurities, relationships... on one condition: If they're done well. I've seen some good examples, by young directors, young casts, millenials, the social network generation. They put out some good stuff there. Sadly, this doesn't rank among them. It misses every chance it gets to be funny, or interesting, or just mildly amusing.

It's an average watch all around. The screenplay isn't riveting, yet it isn't horrendous. But the film constantly wants you to be in love with a story that doesn't seem to leave a mark within itself. It won't bore you to tears but it doesn't move you either. It's ok.

If you don't like "emotional journey" films about millennials you will not like this film. That probably explains the low rating. Diana (Zosia Mamet) is an aspiring writer, as in she hasn't actually published anything yet. She is moving back to New York after some time in London. She rents a spacious brownstone apartment only to find out later that the person renting the apartment downstairs is Ben - the guy she had a serious relationship with and broke up with before she went to London, saying that it was about him being trapped and shackled to her aspirations when in fact she was just afraid of stepping into that cosmic void called commitment.

What makes it interesting? Diana is not classically beautiful. In fact, objectively, she is physically plain bordering on homely. The nice thing is that this does not seem to effect her confidence, the nicer thing is this is not about an ugly duckling turning into a swan - she has the same uneven bite, stringy hair, and dark eyebrows that do not match her blonde hair at the end of the film that she had at the start. What makes it really interesting are the little things - Diana working retail at a tony "wedding store" where she gets yelled at by customers who are much richer and prettier than she is about things (colors available) over which she has no control.;Her very beautiful friend finding out that the guy to whom she is very attracted is just stashing her - she is a friend with benefits without the friendship -she is a "plate" to use red pill language; Ben's live in girlfriend thinking that every chance encounter is Diana obsessing over Ben , and maybe she is obsessing, but most of the time Diana really is just raking leaves or returning a misdelivered package.

The weird stuff? In what universe do 20 somethings who are aspiring writers and musicians get to live in upscale Manhattan brownstones while working for minor duckets at a retail job? Celebrities live in those kinds of places! But then that would make the film about battling bedbugs and detract from the emotional turmoil. Oh, and it's also weird to have a landlady with whom you have no history, who is 30 years older than you, suddenly want to become besties. Maybe in Nebraska, but not in New York.

One more thing - something that confused me at first, but is actually a feature of the film. It goes back and forth between Diana's present and her past relationship with Ben. If you don't get that you'll think Ben is cheating on his girlfriend with Diana one minute and acting ambivalent towards Diana the next. He is not.

Sometimes a movie gets lost in the shuffle. Certainly the plot is old and often told but movie making is all in the telling. Zosia Mamet give a memorable performance with an authenticity that moves one and forces identification. Her performance is so effortless that it is easy to miss the exceptional acting. Which means that the acting was superb. The movie captures the hesitation to expose feelings in love while recognizing that the goal of love is to share life with someone who loves you as well. Perhaps the promotion was weak. But this movie is a must see and brings a catharsis to all who struggle with commitment but do dare to risk to truly love and be loved.

I honestly usually despise romantic comedies or romantic type movies in general, but this one was done well. I was captivated by the characters and their realistic/mundane lives that were intertwined with emotions, heartbreak, and love. The acting was also pretty great, you really felt as though the characters were genuinely in love. Overall it was very good.