Peter and Vandy

I saw this film at the Waterfront Film Festival and was very impressed. The script is very sharp; it was both the funniest and most moving film I saw at the festival, and was filled with acutely observed moments and truths about relationships. The direction and acting were also superb. In particular Jess Weixler turned in an amazing complex and nuanced performance as Vandy.

I would highly recommend this film. It is an auspicious first film for writer/director Jay DiPietro.

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Just saw Peter and Vandy at Sundance, and I'm hoping it gets picked up for distribution. This was one of the most realistic movie relationships I've ever seen, and the actors are spot on. As the director said in Q&A this morning, the stars could convey so much with a single look that he was able to cut various small chunks of dialog from the original script. I won't ruin this film by telling you whether the ending is a happy or sad one, but it's definitely a real one.

Don't be put off by the knowledge that the film bounces back and forth in time. At first you think that this is just a cute stylistic choice, but before long you come to believe that the story requires it. Just when you think you know what's going on and what's going to happen, there's another time shift and you discover that all your assumptions were wrong. It adds a number of very welcome surprises, the kind that you don't expect in a romantic comedy.

Highly recommended.

These are vignettes of the relationship between Peter (Jason Ritter) and Vandy (Jess Weixler) in Manhattan. It jumps around in their story from their meeting at the park, their fighting married friends Paul (Jesse L. Martin) and Marissa (Tracie Thoms), their petty fights, their break-up and their post break-up.

I love Ritter and Weixler. They are able to create some good chemistry at times. Martin and Thoms are a fun battling couple but it's too bad that they don't get many scenes. This is a short 80 minutes and it feels like a little thin. There needs to be something more. Ritter and Weixler could have done more but it's still good.

This was bloody fantastic. Beautiful. Not overdone, just perfect, with its simplicities, complexities, nuances, tremors and silences. Why 6? I really don't understand it. I cannot imagine anyone voting for lesser than 7 for this one at least. Strong leads, poignant, perfect emotions, and a fulfilling ending. Overwhelms, in a happy, warm way that nudges you, but doesn't push you over. Control and release, repeat.

This is a rant that is from the obvious movie rush that I am suffering from. I probably won't stop.

Nevermind. I will make my point here, once again-please do watch it. It hurts in a sweet, sweet way. Yes.

I had a chance to see "Peter and Vandy" at the Gen Art Film Festival a few months back and heard it's coming out in theaters in a few weeks. I'm happy it found distribution cause I really enjoyed this film. It's a quirky love story told out of sequence. If you think this sounds a bit like "500 Days of Summer," you're kind of right. The thing is, I actually liked "Peter and Vandy" better. At times I found "500 Days of Summer" a bit too clever for its own good, although I dug the film. "Peter and Vandy" doesn't resort to the type of sight gags that bogged down "Summer." This is a simpler and more heartfelt story, and I appreciated that. It's an enjoyable film that's worth seeing.