That doesn't necessarily mean that the film is going to appeal to everyone though because it definitely wont. I like seeing Ed Helms in movies because he struggles to shake the Hangover stigma in roles anytime that he tries to branch away from comedies. This film has some comedic moments but for the most part it is a serious and nicely done drama film.
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The plot is an unusual, something that likely hasn't ever happened, and might not even be legal although when you think about it there isn't any particularly good reason why it should be illegal. Matt (Ed Helms) is a single and very successful man who wants to have a child on his own. He does not want to raise this child with a partner. Anna (Patti Harrison) is a much younger woman who agrees to be the surrogate mother in exchange for money.
They draw up legal documents so that no funny business can happen and everyone is protected and Anna gets artificially inseminated and Matt pays for everything along the way. This is supposed to be a professional agreement but along the way the two of them develop feelings for one another. I wouldn't say this is surprising because without this happening, there isn't much of a story here.
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Matt is more than 20 years older than Anna and they both realize the impracticality of a relationship with one another and every now and then they have little "couple's arguments" that make them feel like a real couple and it makes them realize that there is more to their relationship than just a legal agreement that eventually is going to result in Anna turning over her baby for Matt to raise without her involvement at all.
I don't want to spoil what happens but I'll say that it isn't exactly what you might be thinking and while I was disappointed at first, now that I have had time to think about it, I am actually kind of happy that it didn't just pan out the way that we think it is going to. I hate predictable films and they did a good job of this in the end.
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There is nothing wrong with Matt. That isn't why he is single. He just is no longer interested in the problems that come along with modern-day relationships and this is ironic since he is an app developer that makes popular dating apps that have contributed to the vapid relationships that are so common in the modern day. Even he admits that he is a big part of the problem when he is showing Anna the popular app he developed that has made him financially successful.
The comedy is subtle in this film and for the most part it comes only at times where Matt is made a bit uncomfortable talking with gynecologists with Anna about certain equipment that he does not possess. They don't try to make this film too comedic and I think that is a good thing.
Should I watch it?
I'll be honest. This film is not going to be for everyone. This film is almost completely dialogue-driven and obviously there isn't going to be a great deal of action in a movie about a woman moving along in her pregnancy where her only support is a man that she is not in a romantic relationship with. It is on the other hand a very touching story that makes you think about family, modern relationships, and the world in general that we live in today and how not all of it is necessarily good.
I enjoyed it, but the lackluster box-office turnout would suggest that the studios didn't ever have much faith that this film was going anywhere and it definitely didn't get any sort of widespread release. This is common with Sundance selections though, so we shouldn't hold that against it. It moves quite slow, so I wouldn't get involved with this film on a day that you are having a low-attention-span moment.
For the right person, in the right mood, I think this movie is a refreshing change of pace.
I watched the film after reading your review because the parts of dating app development and wanting to be a single dad intrigued me. Well, I have to say I was sort of expecting more regarding the peculiarities of online dating industry. I wasn't expecting anything particular from the actor though as I don't think I've watched any films with him in them before, but the whole affair felt like a bit tormented attempt to respect the other person's boundaries, which probably had been the writer's point here. I think if they wanted to show how the whole online dating thing is failing when you want a baby then all this story hasn't been a bad idea, but the point could have been made clearer, expanding more on the aspects of dating apps, websites and disappointing experiences of people leading to certain views regarding dating both, online and offline.
On a not entirely different note: here's a movie review I wrote last year that deals with digital matchmaking - I thought I'd leave this here for anyone who is interested in the subject matter.
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Yes you are right. They only touch base on the fact that the guy who rejects online dating created an app for it and I think his disdain for the modern dating scene is more implied than explicitly stated.
I'm gonna head over to your digital matchmaking writeup because I'm not a fan of it in real life.
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The story is smart, funny, insightful, thoughtful, and fresh. It made me laugh and cry, and reflect on love and relationships in new ways. Incredibly well acted -- Patti Harrison delivers a consistently outstanding (star-like) performance that elicits smiles, guffaws, melancholy and compassion, and Ed Helms' grounded performance is new from him, he draws viewers in with a masterclass of 'less can be so much more'. The supporting cast is terrific. The director, who I know well, has succeeded in redefining what a Rom-Com can be, and in reminding us that the most meaningful and impactful relationships we have come in many forms, should never be taken for granted.
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That's pretty wild that you personally know the director. I was talking to some people the other day and recommending this film face to face and a few of them had seen it and told me of their dislike of the ending. To me, the ending not being what you expect was kind of the point. I guess some people just enjoy the cookie cutter romcom formula!
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