This is a fun and touching love story that doesn't hide from the difficulties of relationship issues, and doesn't candy coat the ending.
Jonathan Rossetti both stars and directs this film set in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is a charming young up-and-coming photographer who meets a very dashing young woman named Cooper who hits the bottle a little too hard nightly. They fall for each other but, as in any good love story, issues pop up. Cooper is leaving for greener pastures in NYC in a month. Meanwhile, James really belongs in Tulsa where he has good friends and gallery interest in his photos. Something has to give. Is a truly happy ending possible with such a scenario? The statements about love are subtle but grounded: how much does one sacrifice for the other loved one, and is such a sacrifice healthy? Despite the toxicity of Cooper's charm, and the small but repairable damage she indirectly does to James' career and his face after a night of heavy drinking, James has to painfully accept that they are not destined to be together. Cooper also must grow up to make this realization herself. No one is truly at fault, it's just how real life works sometimes between two people. This is the most refreshing aspect of the film, as most romantic comedies are frightened to take a hard look at the realities of relationships, whether these relationships are just starting, as in the world of James and Cooper, or are really digging into the nitty gritty of long term (marriages, etc.). Thankfully, the end of the film expresses two people's lives going in different directions in different cities, although they are both thinking of each other and missing one another. Is this also not part of the cycle of love, and should separation not also be part of what the various aspects of relationships that films explore? It's clear Rossetti and his crew love Tulsa. Ample establishing shots give a very good sense of the city, the environment the characters live in is both beautiful, gritty at times, and yet inviting.
The acting was well done, and the parts extremely well cast. I am excited to see what is next for Rossetti and his team.
