In trying to summarize this film, I found myself saying that 12 Months does for rom-com's what Bo Burham's film, 8th Grade, did for coming-of-age stories: 12 Months removes all the fake, over-glamorized, over-satirized and unrealistic BS and zero's in on the realest and most vulnerable moments between two people. Despite the painful, emotional, and, at times, cringe-worthy experiences of the two main characters, there are many funny moments in this film that balance things out. Clark (Michael James Kelly) and Ellie (Elizabeth Hirsch-Tauber) feel like a real couple that make many of the same mistakes that plague so many new couples, and their evolution as a pair is wonderfully examined throughout the film. Excellent performances by the leads as well as the supporting characters, Christopher Mychael Watson as Marlon and Lindsey Rose Naves as Audrey are particularly entertaining, but every actor in this film deserves high praise. Direction and cinematography are also excellent, everything feels very well-timed and matches the overall vibe of this really great movie.
