Alone Together

To those reviewers that only watch part of a movie and then rate it 1 star-that's just not fair. Look, this movie is not a major movie and it's made for a female audience. I watched the whole thing last night and found it to be a fair romance set against the backdrop of the beginning of Covid. My problem was with Katie Holmes's character talking about wanting marriage and children sometime in the future. She's 44 so unless she's adopting that's not going to happen anytime soon. I do realize you can get pregnant at that age. I just think she was trying to play someone about ten years younger and that didn't work for me. It wasn't a bad way to spend 90 minutes, it's a bit slow moving but what do you expect during a pandemic? Her grandfather who raised her died and she cried briefly and then it's barely mentioned again. That wasn't realistic. So those are my reasons for not rating it higher than 6, although I mostly enjoyed it.

I wouldn't have expected Katie Holmes to be the filmmaker who attempts to create a love story set during the early days of the pandemic. She wrote and directed this 2022 romantic dramedy. However, I would expect her to be the star since her filmmaking style draws from the same sensitivity well as her six years on "Dawson's Creek". The sensitivity of her direction and performance works to some degree, but the leaden pacing and feckless characters hamper Holmes' intention to bring a level of intimacy to COVID. There is something frustrating about watching fortyish characters act like they're dealing with twentysomething angst. Holmes, Jim Sturgess, and Derek Luke try mightily to compensate for this lapse by infusing sincerity. Only an unrecognizable Melissa Leo registers as a character actually living through the uncertainty of the pandemic.

I quite enjoyed this movie, it describes what went on and what people went through in the city. With all the awkward moments. I remmwber thinking it was going to be two weeks, then everything shutting down, remember not being able to hug my family, staying away from friends, my building not allowing friends to come for a meal, friends dying and hearing of people passing, and working all day and stepping outside for the 7pm cheer - in my opinion it's well done. And then getting better here and worse in other countries. And if it seems slow, that's because that's how those days were. Well done!

And the love story is a nice background, or the other way around.

I feel I have been a bit harsh on this film, as I did really enjoy watching I, and found it to be a bit better than reviews had me believe.

It wasn't a wholly original premise, although the Lockdown element added something fresh. I can understand this film isn't for those who like high action or a steady flow of punchy one liners.

However, despite the gentle pace, no huge peaks or troughs, and a pretty tame/simple concept, I was fully engaged throughout the film and thought it was very watchable. Yes, big things are ignored, or/& wrapped up/over before they're really ever a 'thing ', but I just liked being in the company of the characters and watching them navigate the pandemic with existing stresses and life situations.

I'd not deter anyone from watching this, and I appreciated most performances. But, its not something I'd rave about either. I think it's best being one of those films you stumped across and decide to give a try, and end up having a pleasant 90mins viewing experience.

A twee little movie that is inoffensive and fairly unmemorable, sort of Hallmark-ish in its lasting ability.

But there is one very annoying plothole: why, when from the outside this appeared to be a very large house, was there, inside, only one bedroom and onebathroom?