What Other Couples Do

Four couples come together for a dinner at their wealthy friends' home and daringly decide to play "Seven Minutes in Heaven," risking ripping their relationships a part. Most the action, in "What Other Couples Do", takes place at this single location, but director and writer Courtney Daniels keeps the action going with witty dialogue and compelling characters. Daniels brings out the comedy in the relationships between men and women without losing the emotional honesty. It's the kind of movie that makes you think and want to chat about it afterward because some how it manages to be about every relationship. This indie film is well worth watching.

Fifteen minutes into the movie and I wanted to turned it off, but then decided to continue. What turned me off initially was the appearing "falkeness" of the characters. Then I decided it was intentional, it was a sarcastic portrayal of an average American couple (s) . An intentional exaggeration. Their empty conversations and dialogues were dismal and their bickering annoying, in my opinion. Then it became more interesting as the movie progressed. Some of the male actors were miscast. None of them looked much older than 26 years old Brad, however they were talking about themselves as if they were over 40 or approaching. The acting was just OK.

You can relate to these couples? No you can't. Maybe in the sense of unfulfilled expectations and getting your head filled full of negative energy by your girl mates on a night out, but you can't relate. Real couples issues aren't what you see here.

From the off set, a few ordinary people that either have kids or write for a living (which is of course not going to happen much at all) join up with friends in a huge house. What does that house have? Yep this is America so it has to have a pool right. With some awful comedy thrown in. I mean, come on. Get real. This isn't real life this is spoilt entitled L. A people wanting more and more and showboating. That's what Americans like to do here in films, show boat. It's so boring now. You've no idea what the real world is like and that's clear.

After some average quite forged chemistry between the friends, there's plenty of cringe dialogue. Some people get to a certain age and panic but also girls get together and chat in a dreamy state of wanting to be desired and have approval from strangers and boys get together and talk about thinking they can bang any girl. Then, they play what I assume is a teenager game which can have a bad effect on their lives. That's basically it.

I mean come on. This isn't good. This had potential. But is a complete and utter total mess. Cringe after cringe. Don't encourage these women. Notice how the men didn't want this game to take place but the women did. With one claiming she didn't want to play but then not so subtly manipulating her husband to play along? Yep, that's women of today. Right here.

Kind of a different theme.

Until this movie I don't recall ever hearing of 7 minutes in Heaven before.

For such a low budget, I think this movie holds up real well. Acting was not bad.

Storyline was carrying but not riveting.

Watching the credits it seems there has to have been well over one hundred people who put this film together.

With an estimated budget of $50k I'm astounded how little pay everyone must have made.

Anyone know if this was ever at the theaters or dvd or straight to TV?

Definitely an attractive cast. Too bad the dialogue is horrendous. There are times when things get rolling all right then some couple lapses into an absolutely inane discussion or argument that defies any conceibable logic. I like movies that are driven by dialogue between friends in one location but it's a tricky business. For some reason all the men are petty or outright insulting idiots and the women are craving more. The portrayals are absurd and unfortunately. So are the scenarior. The game itself was a good idea and twist and probided some moments of genuine emotion and levity. But overall it failed. I made it to the end. I actually watched it twice as movies of this type require that so nothing gets missed. Twenty minutes could have easily been trimmed off of this.