Permission

Long term, exclusive couple test their relationship by sleeping around! What could go wrong? Plenty of course, but "Permission" is more than a quirky, guilty pleasure premise. Heck it's not even a comedy.

As our adorable love birds take their first baby steps outside of their cage, there is, dread, apprehension, fear, but mostly there is excitement. How Anna and Will deal with their suddenly evolving world is decent fodder for a serious movie, yet it is another couple that steals the show. Anna's baby craving brother and his reluctant boyfriend offer up a better plot line. Sometimes juicy don't cut it.

This really is a tale of two couples, and unravelling the daily intimacy and neurosis of both relationships, with some terrific performances, is where "Permission" works best. It's a messy film with a whole lot goin' on, but manages to entertain while posing some interesting questions.

It has good actors that work well together but the plot line is basically that a flat line. It's a little over an hour & half long but feels closer to three hours. It's not romantic and funny nor is it heartbreaking and tragic it falls somewhere in the middle that leads to an anti-climatic climax that leaves a lot unanswered and then cuts to black.

Director/writer Brian Crano has assembled an excellent cast. Permission has adults having adult conversations. We watch as two very different couples grapple with managing their relationships and the hardships that ensue when one person (or both) deviate from "the plan". Crano allows his characters to be smart, stupid, loving, selfish ... that is, real people. Rebecca Hall steals the show and yet her character is perhaps the least likable of them all. After seeing her here, I will watch her in anything. A scene late in the movie is as real as life and as such is tender, wrenching, and beautiful. So, why only 5 stars? All of these great parts do not add up in the end. The middle of the film lags. As great as the acting may be, I didn't believe the ending. Crano works with his actors and creates great moments. The culmination of those moments, while clearly articulated in the film, seemed trite at worst and less than satisfying at best. Normally such an ending would result in less than 5 / 10 from me (starting from a pass/fail scale). Yet, the greatly crafted scenes and great ensemble acting make Permission worth recommending.

Slightly dull but just about watchable romcom worth half watching and passing the time but there is a lot better out there!

A film that is driven by a controversial premise, but the execution feels childish and amateur. It goes about the motion but does not provide a good enough plot to really examine the concept of monogamy. The emotions displayed by every single character feels off and superficial which creates a disconnect with the audience. The film provides an one dimensional, pessimistic look at relationships, but is not controversial enough to capture and enlighten viewers.