El amor perfecto no existe

It's hard to relay the joy I felt watching The One I Love, Charlie McDowell's first full-length feature. It's the kind of film you'll remember for a long time because it breaks so many boundaries. It's the kind of film Spike Jonze might come up with, minus some of the academic pretensions he sometimes clings to.

The trailer for The One I Love is almost perfect. It doesn't spoil the premise of the film, and neither will I.

Mark Duplass (who also produced along with his bro, of course) and Elizabeth Moss are excellently cast as Ethan and Sophie, two not-so-newlyweds who are encountering all too typical problems "relating."

At the suggestion of their therapist (Ted Danson, in a just-right cameo) they spend a weekend at a rather large rental house, unsuspecting of the lengths their counselor is willing to go to in order to motivate them to "connect."

The One I Love is a high-wire act by anyone's standards. The script is especially brilliant, but it doesn't spit its brilliance in your face constantly and then ask for your approval with laughter or the occasional tear. Instead, it dabbles in elements of Sci-Fi and Fantasy but doesn't let the main characters (or the audience) off easily by subjugating the human story to questions of logistics. In other words, this isn't a movie for the compulsively left-brained and anal. The performances and plot are engaging enough to make you accept this often absurd but always engaging film for what it is.

It takes guts to break the rules, even more talent to make it work. With The One I Love, Charlie McDowell seems destined to reprove the adage that talent runs in the family.

I rarely watch a romantic comedy, and I wouldn't have watched this one based on the IMDb plot description, so thanks to the then 15 reviews that changed my mind. That was a very pleasant hour and a half.

I like to be told a story, and that's what the movie does. This story is completely centred around its characters, the young couple next door, portrayed with simplicity and in a way that lets us relate and empathise. They also act and react like sane and sensible people, which is so uncommon nowadays that it's worth mentioning.

I'll sum it up as both intriguing and amusing, a double source of entertainment. One way to achieve that is to confuse the viewer as much as the protagonists. A very right thing to do, and done in the right proportion in my opinion. We can get confused for a minute, yet we always understand what's happening. There is also a constant undertone of drama. The ending alone can be felt very differently based on our mood of the moment.

Rich writing and solid delivery can satisfy you on several levels. A theatre screen is not necessary though; renting it is fine if you're on a budget.

Greetings again from the darkness. Starting out with a typical marriage counseling session, director Charlie McDowell and writer Justin Lader lull us into a movie-going comfort zone based on our experience with such Hollywood fluff as Hope Springs and Couples Retreat. All that should be said at this point is ... not so fast!

A crumbling marriage and the subsequent lack of success with communication, leads therapist (Ted Danson) to recommend a weekend alone at a private country estate. The twists and turns that await Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss), take marriage counseling to an entirely new spectrum. Sophie wants to reignite that early relationship spark and Ethan just wants things back to normal.

The setting does justice to the legend of beautiful California real estate, but things aren't all they seem as Ethan and Sophie bounce back and forth between the main house and guest house. It's in these moments where the big relationship questions are addressed ... and the script is smart, funny, creative and dark. It's not likely anyone can watch this without having some inner dialogue, and probably even some real discussion afterwards.

Mark Duplass ("The League", Safety Not Guaranteed) and Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men") not only carry the film, but also take on significant responsibility with wide-ranging personality traits and subtle physical changes. Duplass is exceptional and easy for most guys to relate to in how he handles the challenges. While I've never been a big fan of Ms. Moss, her performance here is quite impressive. Whether "together" or "apart", they complement each other nicely.

The closest comparison I have for this one is Ruby Sparks (2012), but this one will have you questioning what makes a relationship work and what should we really expect in our partner. The idea of recapturing the initial spark is absurd, but that doesn't lessen the need for realistic expectations. For the first feature from director Charlie McDowell (son of Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen) and writer Justin Lader, the unique and creative approach to such a complex topic make these two people to keep an eye on.

Well, OK. Read this one.

I just caught this film at the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival. It was a last minute addition to the Festival program, and it was probably the best film I saw there (though my attendance this year was, admittedly, limited.) After an evening of seeing two mediocre films, I was seeking out something to end the evening on a high note. Playing at 9:15 was a film entitled "The One I Love" starring Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss and Ted Danson. As there was nothing in the program about the film, I grabbed the ol' smart phone and started to do some research. The first thing I found was a plea to STOP reading about the film and JUST GO SEE IT. Needless to say, I found this very intriguing… so I did just that. And I was glad that I did. I will say little about this film and what I do say may not generate any interest in the film for you, but if you like films with terrific performances and an original thought behind them, then consider checking this film out when it plays in your area.

Duplass and Moss play a married couple whose relationship has grown stale. Seeking the help of a therapist (Danson, whose on-screen time is probably less than five minutes), they agree to go on a retreat and try to rediscover and reignite the feelings they once had for each other.

And that's where I have to stop.

Screenwriter Justin Lader was in attendance and had a great Q&A session with SFFS Programmer Rod Armstrong and the audience but I can't even discuss THAT as it too would spoil your complete enjoyment of this film. Hell, I went looking for a trailer to post for the film before I realized that there isn't one because… well, you know what trailers usually do.

So take a chance. Resist the urge to figure out what I'm NOT trying to say. "The One I Love" is the kind of movie that can generate hours of post-film discussion, particularly with your significant other. If you love movies, then you should respect that.

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A forehead-wrinkling bit of relationship fantasy that'll stick in your teeth for days. I found a lot of thematic similarities between this one and Being John Malkovich. Though it's not nearly so dark and grim about it, The One I Love delights in asking similarly deep, puzzling questions about the root of an unhappy relationship and the sense of futility that's so often associated with mending something so broken. Of course, like Malkovich, it's also based around a weird, jolting plot device that skirts explanation for its own benefit. The real allure of that vehicle, of course, isn't with the solemn inspection of its construct, it's with the games it directs with the main players. Usually I'm the first to complain when such an elephant is left ignored in the back of the room, but in this case (if you'll excuse the string of metaphors) I think it would be a case of missing the forest for the trees. It's not perfect - the false-finish is telegraphed and the second act sags at times - but it deserves praise for trying something so fresh, and for evenly exploring both sides of the central relationship. Men will see the movie one way, women will see it another, but both will leave with a better understanding of the other's perspective.