Splitsville

Splitsville is a film about two couples in comedic, dramatic and all too real emotional peril, with performances and situations that will feel both fresh and familiar. It is, at times, a little raunchy, and yet it never relies on simple gross out humor. Character and emotion underscore every choice and scene. While it has moments where it stumbles and may not be for everyone, there are riches within.

Courtesy Neon

Director Michael Angelo Corvino, who also co-wrote it with his costar, Kyle Marvin, plays Paul, who is married to Julie. When their friend, Carey (Marvin), learns that his wife, Ashley, is having affairs and wants a divorce, Paul and Julie admit to Carey that they have a non-monogamous marriage, which leads to Julie and Carey sleeping together. This becomes complicated when Paul has an outrageous response, and so the film goes. Everything that follows from the initial response is rooted in deep pain, longing and shot through with all the drama and humor of life.

This is a film that features some rather, at times, upsetting situations. It has moments where it nods to such works as Trouble in Paradise. As the film progresses and the two couples navigate their new normal, the ensuing complications add to the humor. There are elements of petulance and anger, jealousy and heartbreak. This is a work that covers both the feeling of being inadequate and of missing out. It is as much about the anxieties of modern love lives as it is anything else. That these are older Millennials is also something to note.

Courtesy Neon

Splitsville understands how some Millennials, particularly older ones, see themselves rather than how the world sees them, and does so with clarity and even a sense of toughness. While the film deals with characters doing things that many would consider cruel, it never once becomes flippant or condones the behaviors. It also does not judge them, allowing the characters to have varied and believable responses to these events.

There are extended jokes, none of which outstay their welcome, and all of which deepen the exploration of mood or theme within the movie. This is also not a straight up comedy, nor can it be called a dramedy. It has elements of satire, farce and action, while laying claim to none of those genres. Much like the characters, the film seems to be going through something and it is not the sign of a muddled script.

Some may take issue with the third act, but this is to miss the point about the story. This is not about sexcapades. This is not about selfishness as a positive. This is about learning, growing and becoming something new. While it could be said that in a strange way, this is a truly unusual buddy comedy gone wrong, even that misses what is happening. It may be true that the women in the film do not resolve their stories in ways which have become the custom in modern comedies, yet that might be one of the ways this is refreshing.

Courtesy Neon

This is also not a film where you will note it for lavish production design, artistic editing, photography or a score. This is a film where the script, acting and direction take center stage, and it is all the better for it. This is not a perfect film, and those third act issues some may find are not entirely without merit. Ultimately, it is a matter of this being to your taste, or not, and how much you value a film that does not make the moral or ethical choices for you. One of the year’s more surprisingly entertaining efforts.

Splitsville is now available on Blu-Ray and all digital platforms.