Thehibikiew Not even bad in a good way
Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
Ortiz Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
yashasvilohia While it *almost* has the same plot progression as literally every other rom-com from the guy's point of view, this is quite different. Interesting filming style and cinematography. I do like the overall message of the movie very much to the point where seeing the 4 star average rating annoyed me and I just had to write my first review. If you're reading this right now, just watch it already.
jonathanhigh5-1 I read one review that said this is nothing new for the genre which might be the case but its the film's unique story telling and quirkiness that made it enjoyable for me. It's relatable being that I live in NYC and the dating scene here is awful. We see our main character reflect on his failed relationship, date with some successes and failures, and then finally in the end find some inner peace. I feel that the kind of advice his friends try to give him is very similar to some of the crappy advice I was given from friends and family when I became single again. I think sometimes people are just better at making things sound better than they really are. It's that message and the experiences Aaron Tveit's character has that makes this movie worth watching.
Zettelhead This is not a movie about dating, it is not a movie about being a single and it is surely not a romantic comedy. Wtf? Well, it is all that, but still something completely different that most critics and reviewers don't seem to get. It is about a young man who tries to act like a "mensch" and find love, while his surrounding wants to fill him up with the typical American clichés about sex, relationship and live in general.We see him confronted with friends reducing the relationship between man and women to business-school-babble or baseball, who talk him into functionalizing sex, he is confronted with racists and cynical CEO's who have real fun dismissing their employees. When he cautiously mentions that some of those people are good at their work and have kids, they explain to him that being an asshole is the way to make money in this society and he can leave as well. (And for the first time in an American movie I saw normal (!!!) unemployed people that are not depicted as alcoholics, drug addicts or other completely miserable and depressed drop-outs!) The movies shows that stop playing the game is actually an option!And then there is the TV that invades his daydreams and tries to explain the world - but it is just as ridiculous as the two politicians in a TV debate that is shown over and over. Even in the end, after giving an irritating mediocre speech about love, he adds "---I think this is what Oprah said." For me this is a movie that uses the rom com-stereotypes (in a skillfull and funny way) to tell a story about how to keep your brain and authenticity together in an American mainstream-version of reality.Beyond that: The camera work is great, the acting of Aaron Tveit is fantastic and his depicted character is absolutely believable and lovable, the shrink of Charlie is one of the most memorable characters in movie of all times, the surreal distortions are great.Maybe you have to be European to have the necessary distance - whatsoever: watch this movie, forget everything you expect of rom coms! This is something else!
Barrrrrrt (this review contains some mild spoilers but nothing regarding the plot)I enjoyed this movie.In the first scenes, I knew this movie was different. Editing, sequences, music choice, there was a lot of risky innovative stuff going on. I loved it, and it drew me in.Later on in the movie, the editing and storytelling is a bit too vague. It's like listening to advanced jazz when you're not used to it: it kinda makes you wish you knew what was going on. Were the scenes what actually happened? Or daydreams? Or daydreams that kind of showed what sort of happened in a metaphor? This makes you second guess your own eyes as you're watching the movie, and makes the story hard to follow. Also, in my case, it led to some character confusion.There was some epic stuff in here, my favorite scene by far being the 'bankers in the zoo' scene. But also some dating advice from a guy who actually threw his own divorce party and some other gems. Dialogue seemed a bit.. Well, I guess it happens in almost every Rom-com: when the boy and the girl meet they have a witty conversation to a level where it doesn't seem like they are being true to themselves at all - two people who try really hard to be smart and funny. The couples in the movie always get away with it and fall in love, and here I am sitting on the couch, wishing that for once a movie would portray a boy and a girl that meet as actual people, that want to have a relaxed conversation and not a try-hard exchange of witticisms.In the end, the plot is a bit boring, the characters and acting was great, the storytelling and editing is full of potential but ends up being a bit fuzzy and confusing, and I say: kudos to the writer/director of this movie for getting this far, but please do more audience testing and collaboration in bringing your works to fruition. That way they can reach their full potential, and an even bigger audience.PS: Thumbs up for the casting of the best-friends couple and for the slow-mo facial expressions of the lead.
