The One I Love - Austin Sessions

Kinda having mixed emotions about writing my version of a review for this movie. I hate it when people build up a movie and blah blah. I’ve noticed myself saying things like, “It’s right up your alley” or “Trust me, just see it. You’ll really like it.” I’m not trying to establish anything resembling hype but I just really want people to see it. I got the invite to watch the press screening with no idea of what it was about. I knew it had Mark Duplass from the League, and Elisabeth Moss from Mad Men. And I knew that Mark's brother, Jay Duplass, directed the documentary Kevin. That’s it.

Firstly, I’ve never watched the League. My friend Korey, whom I brought, loves it. He and his wife were waiting on the new season and told me it’s fantastic. I hear Duplass is hilarious and the show isn’t  just about football. Which is good for me. Unfortunately, I’m still trying to finish up Silicon Valley and Dexter. And Mad Men. I like Mad Men, but it easy to take breaks from binge watching. Each episode is great but there’s not a lot of “cliffhangers” which makes it easy to catch up on other stuff. I can’t start a new show now. But I will eventually. Right after I start and finish Bojack Horseman and The Wire. I’m also in the middle of reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, which if fucking great. So definitely nothing new till I’m done with that. Oh, and I need to re-watch Cloud Atlas again. I kinda figured out what was happening about half way through. Kinda. But after that, I’m sooo starting the League.
 

Fons PR emailed me the day of saying they had an extra spot if I wanted a plus one (Thanks Brad and Bianca). So naturally, in a brilliantly strategic career move, I took my new boss. He loves loves the Alamo Drafthouse, he loves craft beer, and he loves watching movies. And we’ve been friends since middle school. So there’s that. As we were walking into the theater, a man with two tweens was loitering at the entrance standing next to the poster for our movie. Not that my haircut is the coolest ever, but both kid’s heads were shaved except for the sparse mullet. I mean they barely had a mullet, but they had one. Oh yes, they did. As the crowd filed in to grab their reserved seats I overheard the father say “I guarantee you, all these guys are only here ‘cause their wives or girlfriends are making them go.”

I got kinda antsy at that point. Holy shit. Did I bring my friend slash new boss to a “date movie?” I still had no idea what it was about at this point. It very well could be some gooey rom-com filled with predictable mush you see coming a mile away. Shhhit. Thankfully, that mullet father douche was way off. There was some romance. And there’s definitely comedy. But a typical rom-com? Not so much.

The only echo of a thought of a hint of what this movie brings to mind is summed up by the names Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze. Just me personally. Tonally. During the Q&A after the screening, Duplass and director Charlie McDowell mentioned the two as well. In fact, they indirectly answered one of my questions about a possible influence when another girl asked her own question. Duplass and McDowell were witty and charming as they answered deep questions that related to the story with jokes and seriousness combined. But that's it! That’s all I’ll say about this movie. I don’t want people to have any clue as to what they’re walking into. I like the way it made me feel and I want to take my wife to see it. I really do think she’d like it. And seriously, it’s right up her alley.  

(This is where I had the trailer embedded. Then I re-read this post and took it out.)

Update: I took my wife to the movie and I still really like it. She did too. And that's all I'm gonna say about it.