A woman comes home with a very short haircut, excited to get the reaction of her partner. When his reaction is complimentary but muted, it causes some back and forwards which gradually brings out other issues in the relationship.
For the majority of this film there is a tone/air that most people who have been in longer-term relationships will recognize, which is that no discussion can occur without older discussions being in the room at the same time. So it is here, where half words and small comments are reacted upon, things get out of hand, and frustrations bigger than that specific moment come out. The film does this pretty well; the couple are very intelligent normal people without too much stress, but yet conflict comes out of the smallest thing. This is reasonably well done so that you do feel it escalating. My complaint would be that it doesn't feel engrained into the relationship in the way such things often are - it doesn't have the depth in the writing that suggests this is not the first time. In this scene, that wasn't there, however the way it is written is well done in that it is not clear really where this is coming from.
That strength is lost in the ending though, where the whole thing is clearly setup, and you do wonder if the man here really could have done anything right. That doesn't take away from the stress in the relationship, but it does land the viewer very much on one conclusion. Now, you can still see the woman's side, because she clearly had gotten to the point of make/break - however it is hard not to think she should have been brave enough to make her decision, not trap and bait her partner into a fight to trigger the end. Reading some comments tells me that other opinions on this are available, but I think the ending gives up a lot for not much in return. From the fight, we already knew this relationship has more behind it than the fun surface suggests - and the ending confirms this; but the ending makes it engineered, and I think that hurts the scene that had gone before.
It is flawed as a film, and had potential to be stronger, but it is worth seeing; probably best when others in your social group have seen it too (just not your partner).
For the majority of this film there is a tone/air that most people who have been in longer-term relationships will recognize, which is that no discussion can occur without older discussions being in the room at the same time. So it is here, where half words and small comments are reacted upon, things get out of hand, and frustrations bigger than that specific moment come out. The film does this pretty well; the couple are very intelligent normal people without too much stress, but yet conflict comes out of the smallest thing. This is reasonably well done so that you do feel it escalating. My complaint would be that it doesn't feel engrained into the relationship in the way such things often are - it doesn't have the depth in the writing that suggests this is not the first time. In this scene, that wasn't there, however the way it is written is well done in that it is not clear really where this is coming from.
That strength is lost in the ending though, where the whole thing is clearly setup, and you do wonder if the man here really could have done anything right. That doesn't take away from the stress in the relationship, but it does land the viewer very much on one conclusion. Now, you can still see the woman's side, because she clearly had gotten to the point of make/break - however it is hard not to think she should have been brave enough to make her decision, not trap and bait her partner into a fight to trigger the end. Reading some comments tells me that other opinions on this are available, but I think the ending gives up a lot for not much in return. From the fight, we already knew this relationship has more behind it than the fun surface suggests - and the ending confirms this; but the ending makes it engineered, and I think that hurts the scene that had gone before.
It is flawed as a film, and had potential to be stronger, but it is worth seeing; probably best when others in your social group have seen it too (just not your partner).
