Who doesn't love a challenge? I know I don't always, but every once in a while
I like to face powerful and difficult movies like “Boyhood” (which is amazing—if
you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and get out and watch it immediately).
Or director Charlie McDowell’s indie
romance “The One I Love.”
Having seen the film’s trailer, I
knew going in that the movie was about a couple going on vacation together to
fix their relationship. The premise
seemed simple enough, but every review I read mentioned a twist that made the
film is nearly un-reviewable. Challenge
accepted. I, Maxwell Meyers, will
attempt to review the un-reviewable without resorting to spoilers.
What can I reveal? For starters, that “The One I Love” is definitely
one of the more interesting movies I’ve seen this year. I had no idea what I was getting into when I
bought my ticket, but I laughed and was confused for most of the movie—in the
best possible way (and it's not often you can be baffled for the majority of a
film that doesn't feature someone dying in a mysterious way—and leave happy
about it).
The plot—Mark
Duplass and Elisabeth Moss star as Ethan and Sophie, who, after meeting with a
therapist played by Ted Danson (that's the entirety of the cast, by the way) journey
to a vacation house, where they hope to mend their fractured relationship. At first, all seems well—the house they pick
is gorgeous, unoccupied, and even has a pool.
But after their first there, Sophie wanders out to the guest house
and things get strange, leading to a mystery that keeps you guessing up until
the last minutes of the film.
It’s thanks to
the cast and crew of “The One I Love” that this story is engaging rather than
infuriating. Mr. Duplass and Ms. Moss
give great, multi-layered performances; Mr. McDowell stages some superb shots
of Ethan alone and of the property; and the writing, brought to you by Justin
Lader (who also executive produced), brings you into this strange story—and the
hearts of two people who love each other, yet have trouble connecting. In fact, the movie and its myriad twists and
turns are so compelling that while watching it unfold, I found myself putting me
and my partner into this couple’s position, and wondering how we would handle a
similar situation.
So, while
reviewing “The One I Love” is difficult, it is a film worth talking about—and
any movie worth talking about, in my personal opinion, is worth seeing. I would give this movie a solid B+; it does
almost everything right, and my only real concern is the ending (which is not
entirely satisfying). I don't know if
“The One I Love” will fall in the pantheon of films that are remembered until
the end of time, but it is definitely one that moviegoers will be talking about
for years to come.
Also, the film is
playing on-demand right know, and sometimes there is nothing nicer than a movie
night in.
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