Separation City

Just saw Separation City in my home town (and where the movie is set) of Wellington, New Zealand. Wellington looks great, and overall it is a though provoking story, and refreshingly offers up the male point of view on long term relationships.

There are some great gags, the first half of the movie produced plenty of laughs. The second half delivers quite nicely with farcical elements, but with plenty of emotion as well.

The acting is pretty good, the direction good (if a little unimaginative), and the script does well to capture some unique male experiences that I haven't seen in cinema before.

The only thing I really didn't like were the terrible voice-overs. At times they worked, but other times they were completely redundant and spoiled the moment. I really hope that they edit out about 90% of the narration before this film is released internationally.

but those are only minor criticisms - overall, it's a good film, engaging and enjoyable, and with a fresh insight into modern relationships.

I really wanted to like this because of the cast and locale. Pros: - Wellington and sets are absolutely beautiful. - Mostly good performances - Great gags. At times you will laugh out loud. - The tone is set early for real-lifelike imperfect marriages among 30-somethings.

Cons: - Uncomfortable and noticeable male bias in the storytelling. Male bias is of course not a problem in itself, but this feels dated and out of place. - Nearly every important character is downright unlikeable and not relatable, in particular the adulterous leads (a housewife's close friend and the housewife's husband who somehow blames her because he can't keep it up without medicinal assist). Even cheaters in films should be able to elicit some degree of sympathy from the audience. I almost hoped the cheaters would somehow get struck by lightning while together. But as satisfying as that might've been it wouldn't have been very realistic. :-/

At last a New Zealand film about real people in real situations. This film is written by Tom Scott a political journalist and one of New Zealand's best loved satirical cartoonists. His own real life experiences are evident throughout the film as the characters move from one hilarious situation to another. Set mainly in Wellington, New Zealand's capital and home of parliament, it shows the beauty of Wellington and the real New Zealand character. The actors are very believable and so funny that I was laughing out loud in the theater. My only complaint was that it wasn't longer. This is a great film about friends and the frailty of familiarity. It has great insight and will touch all who see it. My suggestion. Just get out and see it.

I loved it. A great cast. Joel Edgerton is especially magical to watch. The cinematography is worth it alone. How beautiful is New Zealand! Scenes in Berlin were lovely too. Lots of laughs but some serious topics raised.

Very funny but tinged with sadness. An all to real snapshot of modern marriage . Fine performsnces all round would probably watch again. The movie certainly covered the many stresses and heartacre of our time.