Rating: B-
Dir: Cody Clarke.
Star: Cody Clarke, Chloe Castiglioni.
This is movie-making at its simplest. Two characters; one location. Up to you whether you consider this “cinema in its rawest and most pared-down form” or “cheap”. I’d say it’s both. It was only as the end credits rolled that I realized we never found out their names: they’re referred to there as simply “boyfriend” and “girlfriend.” Everything we know about them is what is revealed in their dialogue over the course of the previous hour or so. He (Clarke) convinces she (Castiglioni) to bail on work and spend the whole day in bed – strictly, one of them must remain in bed. The other can go to the bathroom, forage for food, or whatever. Maybe there’ll be sex. Or talking. Or potato chips.
That’s it, from the point of view of narrative. It’s basically like you are a fly on the wall, observing two people interacting without the affectations resulting from them knowing they’re being observed. At times, it can be uncomfortable: I never enjoy watching couples argue. At times, it feels they’re on the verge of breaking up, with him stoically refusing to engage with her attempts to dissect their relationship and how it could be better. When she comes up with a list on her laptop of topics to discuss (top), I certainly feel his angst, because this kind of thing rarely ends well. On the other hand, there are points where he is a dick, and her criticisms of him suppressing her needs seem well-founded.
It’s the kind of thing where the conversations – and that’s basically what the entire film consists of – are either improvised, or written very well to seem improvised and natural. There’s nothing stagy or artificial about the people here, and that’s definitely a factor in its appeal. Never once did I think I was watching actors playing roles. I will admit, I wavered between wanting them to get through the day with their relationship intact, and hoping for a blow-up to provide conflict and a more dramatic resolution. I will not spoil what happened. However, I will note that, in solidarity with the characters, I did watch the entire thing in my bedroom. It seemed the only appropriate place.
Also worth noting this was filmed in a single day as well, adding to the sense of authenticity. I did feel it plays out very much as a gender construction, along lines which teeter perilously on the clichéd. He is of the opinion, “I love you, that’s all I have to say.” She wants to talk about things in considerably more depth than that. I mean, it’s probably not inaccurate: it does line up with my personal experience of how men and women behave. But it does feel a little simplistic: “Tale as old as time, true as it can be.” I prefer my characters to be at least slightly deeper – this pair may be too damn normal. However, I don’t believe that’s a criticism I have previously levelled at any movie.