A young couple play a role-playing game at bars – with her letting herself get nearly picked up by another man, only for him to step in, have an instant connection with this "stranger" and head off for sex. This interplay works well, however some small tensions see the root of this game start to develop into something else.
There is an engaging and thoughtful piece of character development here and it makes for an interesting film, even if what else it does well seems to work against it a little bit. The central plot sees a role-playing side to a couple's relationship, one that is nothing too shocking, since it is similar to the one used by the couple in Modern Family, however what exists at the base of it coming out to surprise the couple is really nicely done and interesting. To be specific, the woman seeking to hurt her partner, leads to her getting into a sexual situation with another man – one that her partner knows about. This appears to encourage her to go further, while at the same time he is surprised to find himself also turned on – thus showing us the first moment where the couple has to confront that the small amount of voyeurism in their original game may have in particular been the aspect they both enjoyed.
This is well played out and I liked that the film ended with the point where the couple both sort of know this but at the same time are holding to their hurts a little too, so although we do not get to see where things go from here, I liked the point it chose to end, and the manner in which it did it. Another thing that the film does well is to look very slick and stylish. In particular the use of LA locations is very good – whether it be the bars, the busy curbsides, or the spacious houses with their large windows and cool pools; everything is typically neon with professional production values giving the place a real feel of a hot city at night. There is a certain irony in this though because I think that the style was done so well that the film seemed uncomfortable to give the characters room to maybe be closer to them when their self-awareness comes; instead we are a little distant and it is delivered with an eye on the style rather than the heart. Both aspects do still work, but the one moment where the couple are just at home and normal, does seem to site awkwardly in the film.
That said, both aspects do work well to deliver a stylish and engaging overall whole. The development of the voyeuristic aspect of their relationship, plus the sudden awareness of it combined with the uncertainity of what to do with it makes for an engaging character piece that is handled with high production values and a real feeling of a neon-soaked city at night.
There is an engaging and thoughtful piece of character development here and it makes for an interesting film, even if what else it does well seems to work against it a little bit. The central plot sees a role-playing side to a couple's relationship, one that is nothing too shocking, since it is similar to the one used by the couple in Modern Family, however what exists at the base of it coming out to surprise the couple is really nicely done and interesting. To be specific, the woman seeking to hurt her partner, leads to her getting into a sexual situation with another man – one that her partner knows about. This appears to encourage her to go further, while at the same time he is surprised to find himself also turned on – thus showing us the first moment where the couple has to confront that the small amount of voyeurism in their original game may have in particular been the aspect they both enjoyed.
This is well played out and I liked that the film ended with the point where the couple both sort of know this but at the same time are holding to their hurts a little too, so although we do not get to see where things go from here, I liked the point it chose to end, and the manner in which it did it. Another thing that the film does well is to look very slick and stylish. In particular the use of LA locations is very good – whether it be the bars, the busy curbsides, or the spacious houses with their large windows and cool pools; everything is typically neon with professional production values giving the place a real feel of a hot city at night. There is a certain irony in this though because I think that the style was done so well that the film seemed uncomfortable to give the characters room to maybe be closer to them when their self-awareness comes; instead we are a little distant and it is delivered with an eye on the style rather than the heart. Both aspects do still work, but the one moment where the couple are just at home and normal, does seem to site awkwardly in the film.
That said, both aspects do work well to deliver a stylish and engaging overall whole. The development of the voyeuristic aspect of their relationship, plus the sudden awareness of it combined with the uncertainity of what to do with it makes for an engaging character piece that is handled with high production values and a real feeling of a neon-soaked city at night.