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Josh and Emily have been a couple forever. When Josh decides he wants some “solo time” to go on a short road trip, in order to pick up a purple armchair he has bought as a birthday present for his dad, Emily has a bit of a problem understanding why she cannot come on the trip. After a big argument, Josh decides to let her come along and when they start off it seems even to him like he has made the right decision. Then, his hippie brother decides that he needs to join them on the trip as well. The three of them hit the road and embarks on journey where they all learn things about themselves they never knew and are forced to re-evaluate their relationships.

Even if their relationship is far from perfect there’s great chemistry between the two leads. They are extremely believable as a couple, playing off each other perfectly. Even the dialogue feels realistic, something that is quite unusual in films about young adults in relationships. There are no long, pretentious monologues about existentialist problems and no overly cheesy displays of affection, apart from Josh and Emily’s slightly annoying habit of speaking “baby talk” to each other.

As the trip goes along it becomes clear that there are problems in Josh and Emily’s relationship, problems that are going to be very hard to solve. Emily is by no means perfect, but she’s not to blame here. Josh really is the “emotional retard” he says he is and is completely incapable of showing the affection and commitment she so desperately needs. It doesn’t exactly help that Josh’s brother Rhett manages to make a mockery of what Emily thinks is the most romantic evening of her life. “What is wrong with you guys?” is the ancient question that Emily and many other girls are so desperate to find the answer to. What this film shows is that there isn't necessarily an answer to that question, it’s just the way things are. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.

The shaky DV camera work doesn’t really do the film any aesthetic favours, but it doesn't matter. The film's charm lies in the performances and in the well-written script and it all works very well. It's a pleasure to watch from beginning to end and I'm quite excited to see what's next for the Duplass brothers.

With excellent performances from the three leads, the script comes to life in a way most relationship comedies can only dream of. If only all indie comedies were this well-executed.

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originally posted: 08/23/05 06:35:59
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