In A Relationship is a 2018 comedy/drama about the stories of two couples in modern times.
Every generation struggles to define themselves, movies especially home to stories that work to shape and contour the new lines of what it means to be an adult in ever-changing times. Think of Woody Allen or Nora Ephron and how they so well encapsulated the times of their movies. Writer/director Sam Boyd‘s new entry into the mix is a sometimes challenging little film that tries awfully hard to be authentic, looking to contrast the gap between four lovers in various stages of being in relationships. It’s a talky, laid-back affair full of plenty you’d expect, not really doing much to set itself apart, seemingly more attuned to tagging the whole thing with familiar nowaday landmarks rather than giving it much genre significance. In short, it has all the parts but no warmth or personality.
Hallie (Emma Roberts) and Owen (Michael Angarano) are long-termers, together enough that their routines are comfortable and predictable, still having spontaneous sex but not all that energized by the more weighty inevitabilities. She’s thinking it’s time to move in, though the reasons why are more pragmatic and he’s not really sure if it’s something they ought to be considering. Meanwhile, Hallie’s cousin, Willa (Dree Hemingway) and Owen’s best friend, Matt (Patrick Gibson) begin their own turn on the merry-go-round, Matt instantly smitten and convinced it’s true love while Willa is less so entrenched, maybe. And so, the four spend time together and all the truths and realities, pain and pondering keep them spinning.
Times have changed of course, movies embracing a more grounded, or perhaps authentic take on what it means to be in love. That often just means using more direct language or showing lovers in more compromising situations that are often avoided in mainstream movies. Boyd clearly wants his film to be edgy, to try and peel back some layers that make dating such a thrilling and emotional experience, putting his characters in purposefully uneventful moments meant to have impact because it’s identifiable for anyone who’s ever been in a relationship. However, the problem is that it’s not all that compelling and never all that original. It’s like a video diary of two obvious couples.
The larger issue is that even as it tries to be genuine, it mostly feels contrived, built upon thin supports that see them travel along some rather well-read concrete lines. Naturally, all the ‘bad’ things and all the ‘good’ things in dating are visited, with breakups and regrets and spirals and exploration and such plotted along the paths, and surely, there are plenty who might find some connection, but it really lacks any earnest motivation. These good looking people pour warmly into their respective parts, dutifully fulfilling their end of the bargain, with all four doing what they can with the limitations of the story, and even a few moments do have a ring of truth, but it’s all soured by a blanket of insincerity.
I’ve avoided most of the storyline, skipping the larger beats that shape In A Relationship, but you can already guess what most of it is about. In all honesty, Boyd is probably counting on that, his intent to sort of offer a lengthy ‘slice of life’ movie without any real depth. It might work for some, but most will surely slip in and out of interest with this approach.