Manhattan Romance

Such a great candid perspective on love an romance and with meta twist on top. Loved it!

A romantic movie that shows everyday romances in a more realistic way than the fairy tales we are so used too. Here we have people dealing with the problems that come when you are building a relationship with other. It can be that one prefers to be alone and not many people can challenge it, that one wants to start it with somebody who prefers to have no commitment or that one is in love with a friend.

The movie isn't bad. But it isn't great either. It started too slow for me and took too long before I felt a slight caring for the relationships between the people on the screen. Unfortunately it didn't make me care as much as it should.

The great parts about the movie are the acting. Katherine Waterston is absolutely perfect in her role. I almost fell in love with her myself and I am not a lesbian. And I absolutely loved the scene where Danny talks about the ending of movies. It kind of predicts the ending but also gives us so much more meaning for it.

A genuine modern tale. O'Brien takes the role of a gentle and nice guy with strength and depth. He has written dialogue for the messed up of today. His complicated guy actually is one of the most interesting male characters in a contemporary movie. He doesn't fall over for the strong and articulate women and holds his own. Being alone is part of his completeness and he doesn't see it as a problem. He bats off the usual gay slings so pointedly thrown at single guys today without a concern of personal intrusion. And he moves gracefully around complicated sexual people with ease. Scattered throughout are tiny snips of relationships as they fall, rise and find their centres. It's a talky movie and all the better for it.

'Manhattan Romance' begins with film-maker Danny embarking on a documentary about relationships, which requires him to interview various acquaintances and strangers about their love lives. One of them is a manipulative neo-hippie tease called Theresa, who encourages him to give her topless massages while she talks about her poly-amorous life-style. Her flirting has Danny anticipating detours into her bedroom, but she keeps putting him off with vague excuses. In between these frustrating encounters, he visits his friend Carla and films her discussing her lesbian romance. When he complains to Carla about his unrequited desires for Theresa, she offers only amused eye-rolls and muted sympathy in response.

The film is Tom O'Brien's second feature as writer/producer/director/actor, and his contributions give the excellent cast plenty of space to create intriguing characters. The story takes some interesting twists and turns as Danny zigzags between his project and real life relationships. The boundary separating these two zones becomes increasingly blurred, leaving Danny unsure about his ability to connect with other people. 'Manhattan Romance' delivers sophisticated accessible entertainment, which is both playful and poignant, before the narrative unfolds to a satisfying conclusion.

What a thoroughly enjoyable film Mr. O'Brien has created for those of us that love this genre. I have to laugh at the low IMDb score since, as romantic comedic dramas go, this is just about as good as it gets. Mr. O'Brien's talents as a writer/actor/director are off the charts, as was the performance by Ms. Waterston, who crafted a genuine and spellbinding character that pulls you in and holds your attention. I expect huge things in the future from these two talented performers and can't wait to watch their careers develop. My Wife and I have yet to see Fairhaven, but it is now next up in our cue and expectations are high. If you are a hopeless romantic that enjoys witty, heartfelt dialogue delivered by wonderfully crafted characters, you will love this film. I give it 9 out of 10!