The One I Love
Directed by: Charlie McDowell
Written by: Justin Lader
Starring: Mark Duplass, Elizabeth Moss, Ted Danson
Comedy/Drama/Romance - 91 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 2 Sep 2014
Written by: Justin Lader
Starring: Mark Duplass, Elizabeth Moss, Ted Danson
Comedy/Drama/Romance - 91 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 2 Sep 2014
Its description tags The One I Love as a comedy; I did not laugh once. It is not funny and I can recall no ‘ha-ha’ moments. Unsettling is the most appropriate word I can employ. I bordered on dislike for a while but walking out of the theater, I cannot get this strange, fantastical, mind-churning story out of my head. Let’s just say, I never, ever want to be put in this situation.
For The One I Love to work, the less you know about the plot, the better. I went in blind; I only knew Elizabeth Moss was in it. Any description beyond the most basic set up verges on spoiler territory. I am not going to let the cat out of the bag here; however, I am going to discuss some metaphysical and moral dilemmas that pop up. Read on if you dare.
Ethan (Mark Duplass, 2012's Your Sister's Sister) and Sophie (Moss, AMC's Mad Men) are in marriage counseling and it is going nowhere. The therapist (Ted Danson) even drops his poker face at just how incompatible and far apart this couple is. Failing at every turn, the therapist finally gives them a brochure for a getaway weekend. There is a secluded house out in the Ojai Valley where couples go to for privacy and they all come back…”renewed.”
For The One I Love to work, the less you know about the plot, the better. I went in blind; I only knew Elizabeth Moss was in it. Any description beyond the most basic set up verges on spoiler territory. I am not going to let the cat out of the bag here; however, I am going to discuss some metaphysical and moral dilemmas that pop up. Read on if you dare.
Ethan (Mark Duplass, 2012's Your Sister's Sister) and Sophie (Moss, AMC's Mad Men) are in marriage counseling and it is going nowhere. The therapist (Ted Danson) even drops his poker face at just how incompatible and far apart this couple is. Failing at every turn, the therapist finally gives them a brochure for a getaway weekend. There is a secluded house out in the Ojai Valley where couples go to for privacy and they all come back…”renewed.”
This couple’s retreat does not produce the expected candlelight dinners and the rekindling of feelings our couple once shared. There is a guesthouse at the other end of the garden that features prominently in what is to come. As first time feature director Charlie McDowell shoots the main house in neutral, gray tones, the guesthouse is alive with bright hues and warm colors. When Ethan or Sophie is in the main house, they can only think about the guesthouse and when in the guesthouse, the main house is the last thing on their minds.
There is an abnormally small cast at work here. Duplass and Moss do a lot of heavy lifting since Danson is only around briefly to get the couple to their vacation home. Duplass is now an old hand at low budget, quickly filmed indies; he operates in his wheelhouse here. Moss, who most us know from Mad Men and The West Wing is the star. Her performance is the one you will think about when dissecting the ins and outs later on.
There is an abnormally small cast at work here. Duplass and Moss do a lot of heavy lifting since Danson is only around briefly to get the couple to their vacation home. Duplass is now an old hand at low budget, quickly filmed indies; he operates in his wheelhouse here. Moss, who most us know from Mad Men and The West Wing is the star. Her performance is the one you will think about when dissecting the ins and outs later on.
People describe The One I Love as a Charlie Kaufman/Spike Jonze sort of film. Being John Malkovich certainly popped into my head about halfway through but there are more similarities to the recent Ruby Sparks (2012) and Duplass’s Safety Not Guaranteed. The time travel story in Safety Not Guaranteed hinged on whether we believed it or not and that determined how much science fiction came through the narrative. Science fiction is also at play in The One I love, but fantasy is the sharper descriptor.
So why do I feel so unsettled? What if your wife (significant other) met the ‘super’ you; the guy who was totally devoted to her: back rubs, beverage pourer, and attentive listener? What if she met you at your best, the guy you were for the first 30 minutes you met her in real life, before reality set in? Can you honestly say with 100% confidence she would come back to you as you are now? What if you met the ‘super’ her?
Answers to these questions deserve a long, deep discussion post screening with your spouse. It does not matter whether both or neither of you likes the movie. I guarantee you the conversation in the car on the way home will be far more profound than the one you had on the way there.
So why do I feel so unsettled? What if your wife (significant other) met the ‘super’ you; the guy who was totally devoted to her: back rubs, beverage pourer, and attentive listener? What if she met you at your best, the guy you were for the first 30 minutes you met her in real life, before reality set in? Can you honestly say with 100% confidence she would come back to you as you are now? What if you met the ‘super’ her?
Answers to these questions deserve a long, deep discussion post screening with your spouse. It does not matter whether both or neither of you likes the movie. I guarantee you the conversation in the car on the way home will be far more profound than the one you had on the way there.
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