There There

Likely filmed during Covid, this is a bizarre look into the interconnected lives of a handful of characters, their flaws and issues, and the nature of human connection, told in a series of two-person interactions. What's most unusual is that, never at any time, are two people on the screen simultaneously, and I highly doubt any pair of actors was even present together during filming. So, you have a creatively stitched-together tapestry of conversations (including one in bed and one across a lunch table) where very talented actors are carrying the water alone. Highly unusual, somewhat distracting, yet oddly effective at times. So, there's that.

The problem... well, one of them, is that these characters aren't terribly likable (except the bar owner, played nicely by Lennie James, who shines in both his duets) and their interactions aren't terribly worthwhile. I did like Molly Gordon's turn as bad teacher/sloppy drunk, and while there's no denying that Lili Taylor and Jason Schwartzman are top-notch in their roles., the lack of actual interaction, the odd camera angles, and overall weirdness of their paired situations, made this a less-than-stellar watch. Two sequences (the alcoholic and her AA sponsor and the lawyer/client) dragged badly and went on too long. The vignettes are separated by strange, live musical interludes that seem out of place and could be discarded. I've seen this tagged as "drama, comedy, romance," but it wasn't funny at all, and the "romance" part is awkward at best.

So, it's a bold and gallant effort by a talented filmmaker, but it falls flat for me in important ways. I rounded up to a "6" because I appreciated the work and what the actors were able to accomplish here, but feel like it could have been better.