Together Together

I really enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed the relationship that transpired between Matt and his surrogate. But the most disappointing thing about this whole movie was the abrupt ending!!! It was not satisfactory at all. I also wanted to know what the sex of the baby was and what he decided to name him/her. Plus I wanted to see more of their connection and what was going to transpire after the baby was born. Very disappointed at the end or lack there of.

Not a bad way to spend 90 minutes, but ultimately felt like a bit of fluff.

Highlights:

• The window into some of the things a woman goes through during pregnancy.

• The warm feeling I got from the platonic love between the main characters.

• Patti Harrison and Ed Helms, who are both charming in this.

Lowlights:

• The story is quite contrived, and borderline cheesy.

• Very limited character development.

• Most of the humor falls flat.

• The shots at Woody Allen felt cheap.

• The abruptness of the ending seemed like a cop-out, conveniently avoiding the inevitable conflicting emotions of this scenario.

The story (written and directed by a woman) is not often (if ever) told in movies, a single man wants to start a family and hires a young woman to be a surrogate. The man is intelligent and successful and 45. The young woman had a speed bump as a teenager and now at 26 she works in a coffee shop in San Francisco. But she is lovely and intelligent and has aspirations to finish her degree.

So the movie is about their nine months, from his selecting her to giving birth. How each handles the novel "relationship" and how they gradually form a great friendship through the process. I can't say enough about Patti Harrison who plays the young woman. I had never heard of her before but she is just perfect in the role. Had it been any other actress the movie would have suffered. Ed Helms is established, he always does a good job.

Anyway my wife and I really enjoyed it, much of the script writing is novel and interesting. We watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

An honest and thoroughly fresh portrayal of surrogacy, Together Together is an occasionally funny and progressive film. Ed Helms (as Matt) and Patti Harrison (as Anna) play the mid-40s and mid-20s loners respectively, their connection slowly evolving into something platonic. While the core plot revolves around the pregnancy aspect, the little details we get to know about the duo and their unlikely chemistry make the film engaging. Their relationship is never explored from a sexual angle, which most clichéd rom-coms would (I wouldn't classify this as one!) - Together Together remains a dramedy. Both the leads are wonderful, with the supporting cast ably pitching in. There's a sense of predictable aimlessness in the plot, especially in the final 20 minutes and an ending that feels a bit abrupt. It's still worth a viewing for its funny exchanges, however.

1) This is a comedy but not a belly laugh out loud film.

2) Per usual, Ed Helms does not disappoint.

3) Sometimes we get movies that are sweet and refreshing with endings that leave you wanting more. This is one of those. It's OK to let viewers decide for themselves, in their own hearts and minds, what the ending is.

4) Happy Birthday, Lamp! 🎈