Manhattan Romance

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

At first, I wasn't sure if this was a romance movie or not. I was very confused by the plot and direction the movie was going, but at the end I realized the point of such a movie. The whole thing was shot as a documentary within a documentary into someone's life. It's not about a long, perilous journey that ends in a neat little bow at the end like most movies do. This was a documentary into someone's life, with all the nitty gritty details added in: the awkward pauses, the things left unsaid, the body language, the silent conversations, the lies, etc. And I honestly loved that new take. The ending wasn't wrapped into a neat little bow, because life isn't like that at all. It wasn't just a new take on the movie plot, but a new take on what a movie should leave you with. It's ugly and awkward and wonderful all at the same time, just like real life romances are. The only complaint I have about it is that I would like to have seen more scenes with our main character and his film editing, as I felt like that was a really important character detail and would have given more insight into him as a character and his thought process behind love and relationships. A lot of his character development was left unsaid, which is understandable given the message at the ending, but I would have loved to see him film others in his documentary. If you're not into indie films or thought-provoking (but not necessarily happy) endings, this is not the movie for you. But if you are, I would definitely give it a try before you skip past it on your Netflix list. It's different, but in a good, cringey, awkward, wonderful sort of way

'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.

I'm not really that good at reviews, in fact this is the first one I write, but when I saw IMDb rating I felt oblige to do so.

This is great and very realistic film about love and everyone who is not brain dead should see it. The acting was very, very good. I completely and helplessly felt in love with Katherine Waterston, she was magnificent at least and from now on I'll be following her career very closely.

The actor, producer, director and writer Tom O'Brien made one hell of a movie, his performance as an actor was close to perfect and in my opinion. The whole documentary like theme was perfect for the purpose of the movie only one thing I can say - Respect!

P.S. Sorry about my poor English.

Manhattan Romance is the film I've been waiting for, finally a realistic portrayal of bisexual relationships in mainstream media. I was intrigued by the way each character was struggling with a different aspect of what it means to fall in love! This movie does a great job of demonstrating the different views people have when starting a relationship and that's why it stuck with me! Tom O'Brien who wrote, and directed, the film did a superb job crafting this script. The film, which is about a modern day love triangle set in New York City, had lines that I would find myself saying on a daily basis. The fact that a writer can be so vulnerable is a true testament to his work. I found myself thoroughly intrigued with this film, can't wait to see it again.