19 Months

A smart, funny anti-romantic comedy. Woody Allen meets Albert Brooks, but younger. A faux-doc about a couple that decides to find new partners before they break up, in an effort to avoid the usual pain and angst. Of course, things don't work out as planned. The woman finds a new man almost immediately, while her better half fumes and freaks. Benjamin Ratner is excellent as Rob, the anti-hero, and makes it fun to watch him spiral into a jealous frenzy. The female lead was also very good. This felt like an updated take on the "open-relationship" experiments of the 1970s. Very clever and very amusing. I recommend it to anyone who has gone through a messy break up. And who hasn't?

Viewed at 12th Philadelphia Film Festival.

Insightful. Captivating. For some maybe even retrospective. Certain things are difficult to rationalize, one undoubtedly is the aftermath of a relational breakup. This film, a mockumentary on the aforementioned, is brilliantly acute in capturing the emotional turmoil, the forced introspective process and the unpredictably of how people handle a breakup.

Many times one or both parties entertain a chess match trying to get the best move on the ex-partner. Moreover, others can crumble and eventually fall into a quagmire of despair. I was very pleased as these elements were shown with stark clarity. One could vicariously live the male and female split. And in fact...

The events that transpire run contrary to the proposed theory offered by the couple, Rob and Melanie, in the film (its premise) who state (Rob more confidently) since science statistically supports that romantic love ebbs at the 19 month mark; they will end their relationship gracefully and thus will not compromise either's dignity and/or chance dismissal of a continued friendship. Misguidedness. Great!!!

Ambitious, I admit. I wish these kinds of films wouldn't advertise themselves as documentaries.

Because "fake documentaries" are probably the most irritating sub-genre ever.

Poor acting, poor strict, the entire production and storyline just reeked of corny, film-student, low-budget Canadian crap. I tried to endure through most of it, "Rob" nearly made me stab the television a number of times. A character so irritating, He could only exist in fiction. Oh wait, no even fiction; mockumentry.

Completely unrecommended. This is the kind of stuff that only belongs on Movie Network On Demand, and anyone viewing it and paying to view it, is a victim of a tragedy.

This is by far, (no exaggeration) the WORST film I have ever seen. In the opening scene you hear the "documentary maker's" voice telling you how they had been interviewing couples for a documentary on relationships and stumbled on Rob and Melanie who had this interesting theory about relationships and breakups. At this point you are left to imagine that this is a legitimate documentary... interesting... perhaps. Anyway about 2 minutes into the movie you realize it is not really a documentary, the responses are too obviously scripted and they are very poorly executed by these "actors." Actually the only good performance is on the part of Page (Kari Matchett) who you might recognise from "Blue Murder." Although the film is relatively short (77 minutes) I couldn't stand watching all of it. Luckily I had it on DVD so I skipped the long drawn out monologues (which unfortunately pollute most of the film). Basically the whole thing is predictable: Everyone knows about those couples who break up thinking everything will be fine and then everything ends up going to s**t and then they feel bad about it, feel nostalgic and eventually get back together only to break up again after sometime. Know what I'm talking about? Seen this in real life before, more than once? Then you don't need to see this movie. And on another note, it's categorized as a comedy... they really stretched the definition of "comedy" to fit this one into it. There wasn't even one remotely funny scene in this entire movie. Spare yourself the $4 or $5 it costs to rent it, it's not worth it at all. Two thumbs and all other digits and toes down!