Save the Date

SAVE THE DATE just doesn't quite work. I didn't actively dislike the movie, but when it was all over, it just sort of sat there without leaving any kind of impression to speak of.

The main character is played by Lizzy Caplan, and right there you know you'll have something interesting. While not the greatest actress of all time by a mile, she brings a certain energy and commitment to her performances that makes even a throwaway character (like the one in CLOVERFIELD) somehow the most interesting person in the film. She's a bookstore manager who is also seemingly on the cusp of breaking out as a visual artist (her first show is coming up). She dating the lead singer of a popular regional rock band, and they're moving in together. In the background, her sister (Alison Brie) is engaged to the guitarist in the same band (Martin Starr, giving a performance quite a long way off from his work in stuff like SILICON VALLEY...I mean that in a good way, he's showing some range here.) But Caplan doubts this is the relationship for her, and things unravel early on (and somewhat spectacularly too).

Caplan and her boyfriend are left somewhat adrift. The boyfriend pines, hopes for a reunion even though he's seething with anger, etc. Caplan professes to be happy, but it's clear she isn't. And her sister is oddly resentful of Caplan choosing this time to distract from her own upcoming nuptials. The relationship of the two is very much strained. They know each other better than anyone else knows them...and they love each other but don't always like what they see in the other.

Anyway, this makes it sound like SAVE THE DATE is a pretty heavy drama. It's not. But it's also not light-footed or light-hearted enough to be a full on "rom com." It falls in between and this is the most unfortunate thing. It's not funny enough to be a memorable comedy. It doesn't dig deep enough to be a really meaningful drama. And Caplan's character is difficult to like. She hems and haws and never REALLY seems to understand that her actions have consequences on the happiness or lack thereof of the people closest to her. Brie comes off as a bit shrewish and one-dimensional, and is thus also a little difficult to like.

Yes, real life is a bit messy and sloppy. We aren't always likeable and we often aren't our best selves. But for a movie, we should at least CARE about how things turn out for many of the characters. We're asked to invest in these folks for a couple of hours, and the best films make it easy. This film makes it hard. I rooted (to some extent) for Caplan, but mostly because of how much I liked her in, oh, MASTERS OF SEX or PARTY DOWN or even TRUE BLOOD or CASTLE ROCK. It's possible that Caplan fell short as an actor in this film, but I think the writing and direction were the true issues. The directing was uninspired, at best. It didn't even do a good job really establishing a sense of place (at the end, my wife asked me, "where did that movie take place?" and I had to really think about it.) The writing was ambitious, I would say, but is having a couple "meet cute" in a bookstore really something we can accept anymore? That felt so terribly lazy.

So, while I didn't feel I had truly wasted my time watching this, and while I was reasonably diverted...you can certainly find many better rom-coms or rom-dramas out there that will serve you even better.

While the story was not that original the performances were great as was the cinematography. However, given the cast I expected this to be a lot funnier than it was.

"Are you happier?" Sarah (Caplan) is starting a new life living with her boyfriend but she isn't totally sure that is what she wants. After a few months she is starting to relax when out of nowhere he proposes to her. After saying no she moves out and isn't sure what to do next. The whole time this is going on her sister is getting ready to marry his best friend. I will start by saying I know the movie isn't geared toward me (being a man) but I did think it was OK. It is a little cookie cutter and the "twists" you can almost feel coming the entire time. If you have seen the movie Your Sisters Sister this is very comparable to that one although I thought that was a little better. As far as a date movie goes there are better and more romantic choices but this is not a bad movie to watch with your significant other. Pretty much if you liked Your Sisters Sister you will like this one as well. Overall, a little generic but overall a good movie. I give it a B.

This look in on those Young Adult Singles with prolonged Teen attitudes with a free Spirit seems, Today, dated and worn out. These Angst Driven Counter Culture Movies and Comics were all the rage, back then. Ghost World (2001), was one of the best. But this is no Ghost World. It is a prefabricated and phony "insight" into the narcissistic World of self involved dullard's who pretend they have something to say, through Art.

The Truth is, these People and their Art are neither profound or engaging. The Band screams...Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Baaaaby(that's all the lyrics). That might have been Cool when the Virbrators did it in the late 70's. She of lead Character Status, is an "Artist". Her Drawings make most Underground Comics look simply sublime.

In fact, all the Characters in this shallow swill are unlikeable and for that matter barely seem real. They are not even interesting Caricatures. Things move along with the Romance part of this Rom-Com that isn't much more than at best voyeuristic-ally cringe worthy or just plain unattractive. The Com part of this Rom-Com comes, and don't hold your breath, through uncomfortable situations and ridiculous telegraphed set-ups (packing dirty dishes because Her new place has a dishwasher). How rebellious.

That's about as anti-establishment as this thing gets as it also takes swipes at conventional things like traditional relationships and Weddings, but it all seems so fake and forced that this turns into a by the numbers exercise purposely, predictably, and painfully going outside the lines.

Sarah (Lizzy Caplan) and Beth (Alison Brie) are sisters. Beth is planning a wedding to Andrew (Martin Starr). Sarah rejects live-in boyfriend Kevin (Geoffrey Arend)'s proposal and moves out. She starts dating Jonathan (Mark Webber) who has had a crush on her.

I love all of them as actors and like the characters they play. Tthe story is somewhat bland and I can't really say I love this movie. The story is fine, but it is nothing special. I do wish it has snappier dialog.