“Do you know why people break up? Guilt. But if you make the bad thing okay, there is no guilt.”
Boy, was this messy. This was possibly the messiest love affair I ever witnessed, which somehow managed to make me laugh, yet also had me rolling my eyes at times. When good-natured Carey’s wife, Ashley, tells him she wants a divorce, his world is shattered. Seeking support from his friends, Julie and Paul, Carey discovers the secret to their happiness: an open marriage. Well, you can guess what transpires next. Essentially, the two couples’ friendship erupts into conflict when the husband of a divorcing couple sleeps with the wife of an open marriage couple. Frequent collaborators Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin star in the film, which they cowrote together, joining forces with Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona as their respective significant others. So, to put it simply, in this comedy, both guys are punching above their weight.
As previously mentioned, Covino and Marvin are frequent collaborators, both having previously served as producers on films Kicks and Hunter Gatherer, as well as working together on commercials and music videos. In fact, the two run the production company Watch This Ready. Their dynamic is shown quite well in the film with the way they interact and play off one another. This was enjoyable during their argument scenes, particularly during the fight where a fish tank ends up an unfortunate casualty. Individually, I think I preferred Covino’s character because he was just such a mess, which made for better scenes, such as when he goes to Arjona’s Ashley in attempt to get back at their spouses. Marvin plays his role as the good-natured Carey well, but there is no real surprise with how things unfold for this character. He is meant to be the audience point of view, which means we are meant to sympathize with his situation. In the case of Covino’s Paul, he’s a guy that acts one way for the world but hides deep-seated jealousy and self esteem issues that come into play when he learns that his wife slept with his best friend. However, in regard to that situation, he only has himself to blame.
Johnson was quite cutting in the role, especially when her character is confronted by Paul about sleeping with Carey. She is just so calm as she explains her reasoning behind doing it, which, while logical, still feels like salt in the wound. Additionally, she has her own reasons for having issues with her husband, which has nothing to do with their open relationship.
Matters get messy after Carey and Dakota sleep together. Jealousness starts to rear its ugly head, which is ironic, as both are linked to other people. However, the wrench I didn’t see coming was Carey’s suggestion to Ashley, which on the surface seemed to be an attempt at reverse psychology. The timeline of events felt a bit unrealistic even by movie standards, particularly when it comes to one of the main character’s legal predicaments. Disregarding that aspect, the film’s final arc doesn’t quite wrap things up in a neat bow as you’d traditionally would expect. In all honesty, where all the characters end up by the film’s conclusion will have you scratching your head and saying “Huh?” I believe this was intentional on the part of Covino, and it does show that life, especially relationships, is always messy. The film is billed as an unromantic comedy, and all things considered; I say that this is a fitting description for this film. Another apt description probably would be a dumpster-fire comedy.
