Manhattan Romance

I was looking for a date night movie with my boyfriend and I found this one online. I fell in love with this movie because of the way it approached all different kinds of love with complete acceptance and an attempt at understanding. There is a lesbian, a woman who is figuring out her sexuality, a straight male, and a straight female who only involves herself in open relationships. And none of these people are portrayed as anything but individuals, acknowledging the fascinating role sexuality plays in society today. As this movie went on, I found that I loved the dialogue and the interactions between all of the characters.

Such a great candid perspective on love an romance and with meta twist on top. Loved it!

At first, I wasn't sure if this was a romance movie or not. I was very confused by the plot and direction the movie was going, but at the end I realized the point of such a movie. The whole thing was shot as a documentary within a documentary into someone's life. It's not about a long, perilous journey that ends in a neat little bow at the end like most movies do. This was a documentary into someone's life, with all the nitty gritty details added in: the awkward pauses, the things left unsaid, the body language, the silent conversations, the lies, etc. And I honestly loved that new take. The ending wasn't wrapped into a neat little bow, because life isn't like that at all. It wasn't just a new take on the movie plot, but a new take on what a movie should leave you with. It's ugly and awkward and wonderful all at the same time, just like real life romances are. The only complaint I have about it is that I would like to have seen more scenes with our main character and his film editing, as I felt like that was a really important character detail and would have given more insight into him as a character and his thought process behind love and relationships. A lot of his character development was left unsaid, which is understandable given the message at the ending, but I would have loved to see him film others in his documentary. If you're not into indie films or thought-provoking (but not necessarily happy) endings, this is not the movie for you. But if you are, I would definitely give it a try before you skip past it on your Netflix list. It's different, but in a good, cringey, awkward, wonderful sort of way

'Manhattan Romance' begins with film-maker Danny embarking on a documentary about relationships, which requires him to interview various acquaintances and strangers about their love lives. One of them is a manipulative neo-hippie tease called Theresa, who encourages him to give her topless massages while she talks about her poly-amorous life-style. Her flirting has Danny anticipating detours into her bedroom, but she keeps putting him off with vague excuses. In between these frustrating encounters, he visits his friend Carla and films her discussing her lesbian romance. When he complains to Carla about his unrequited desires for Theresa, she offers only amused eye-rolls and muted sympathy in response.

The film is Tom O'Brien's second feature as writer/producer/director/actor, and his contributions give the excellent cast plenty of space to create intriguing characters. The story takes some interesting twists and turns as Danny zigzags between his project and real life relationships. The boundary separating these two zones becomes increasingly blurred, leaving Danny unsure about his ability to connect with other people. 'Manhattan Romance' delivers sophisticated accessible entertainment, which is both playful and poignant, before the narrative unfolds to a satisfying conclusion.

A genuine modern tale. O'Brien takes the role of a gentle and nice guy with strength and depth. He has written dialogue for the messed up of today. His complicated guy actually is one of the most interesting male characters in a contemporary movie. He doesn't fall over for the strong and articulate women and holds his own. Being alone is part of his completeness and he doesn't see it as a problem. He bats off the usual gay slings so pointedly thrown at single guys today without a concern of personal intrusion. And he moves gracefully around complicated sexual people with ease. Scattered throughout are tiny snips of relationships as they fall, rise and find their centres. It's a talky movie and all the better for it.