In LITERALLY, RIGHT BEFORE AARON, Ryan Eggold offers up a smart, off-the-wall rom-com

Slightly psychotic, as is its very troubled hero (played by Justin Long with finesse, humor and enough believability to win us over), LITERALLY, RIGHT BEFORE ARRON proves an unusual mix of movies that include everything from My Best Friend's Wedding to just about any and every they're-going-to-get-married movie you'll have so far seen. And yet it still manages to seem surprisingly original, if somewhat problematic. The work of actor, Ryan Eggold (shown below, who with this, his first full-length film, has written, directed, edited and composed), the film tracks the coming apart of a young man named Adam, from the time he learns of his ex's impending wedding until the event itself -- in which he plays, well... an unexpectedly major role.

What Mr. Eggold has done here is explore -- at length, in some depth and mostly humorously -- a man's growing and non-stop obsession with a love relationship that, although ended, has not at all gone away. Mr. Long (shown below as the ex who came "literally, right before Aaron," as another character helpfully points out) gives one of his best performances out of many very good ones, as he takes that ball of obsession and runs with it, scoring touchdown after touchdown, even if these are all, in the end, against his own team. Via flashback and fantasy, as well as quite real-if-bizarre situations and supporting characters, the filmmaker gives us this man's about-to-implode life -- work life, love life, family life and more -- as he begins and then continues his sad but pretty funny descent.

Highlights here include a "proposal" scene that is certainly among the oddest ever, with results that will leave your mouth, as it does that of the recipient, hanging open, right through to a wedding reception that is one for the books. Along the way we meet a number of supporting characters, all of whom exist to keep Adam on track, from which, of course, he consistently derails.

Even that would-be love of his life (played by Cobie Smulders, above right) seems to come to life only through Adam's eyes. The groom, too (a hot, hirsute Ryan Hansen, above left) exists more as the antagonist-to-be-toppled than a full-bodied character. But all this is by intention, I suspect, and much of it, but not all, works to the film's advantage. What is missing, is any sense of who this Adam character was prior to his knowledge of his great love's impending marriage.

Clearly he had some major problems, or the earlier pairing would have remained in place. But could he have always been such a desperate jerk? Probably not, but that's what we see here, so we'll just have to take the rest on faith. Among the supporting cast are John Cho (above, right) as Adam's best friend, Kristen Schaal (below, left) as his very bizarre "wedding date," Lea Thompson (shown at bottom) as his mom (looking young enough here to be his sister), and Dana Delany as the bride's mom -- who in a particularly telling scene, intimates that she preferred Adam's Mr Fuck-Up to Aaron's Mr. Perfect.

If you approach Literally, Right Before Aaron with expectations of oddity rather than mainstream romantic comedy, I suspect you'll have a pretty good time. At the very least, you'll get a step-by-step lesson on what not to do so far as your ex -- along with just about everybody else -- is concerned.

From Screen Media Films and running 103 minutes, the movie opens theatrically in a limited run this Friday, September 29 -- in New York City (at the Village East Cinema), Los Angeles (at Laemmle's Monica Film Center) and in Arizona (at the Harkins Shea 14 in Scottsdale) plus another dozen cities over the weeks to come. Click here to see all currently scheduled venues.

If you don't live near any of the current venues, relax: The movie will simultaneously hit VOD this Friday, as well.

So much more than it might initially appear: Rama Burshtein's THE WEDDING PLAN

When, a month or so back, we caught a trailer for THE WEDDING PLAN at a local movie house, this new film from Rama Burshtein looked for all the word like some silly Israeli sitcom/rom-com in which a bride-to-be is dumped by her man but decides to go ahead with a wedding anyhow -- in hopes of finding a new groom in time for the deadline. Oy! Right? But hold on. Burshtein, a born-in-New-York-City filmmaker (shown below) who works in Israel and who gave us the interesting Fill the Void a few years back, has more on her fervid mind that mere laughs and romance.

Ms Burshtein is interested in everything from the Jewish religion (Orthodox-style) to faith, psychology (she's quite astute in this department), love and limerence. And her heroine, Michal -- beautifully played by newcomer Noa Koler (above and below) with a ripe combo of intelligence, desperation and genuine appeal -- is no typical ditz, even though she does do a number of ditsy things in the course of this funny, surprising, and finally somewhat unsettling film. Burshtein and her leading character question an awful lots of the things that the Jewish orthodox religion would prefer that we take for granted and then shut up about.

Chief among these is -- as usual with any fundamentalist religion -- the male prerogative. But more than merely bashing us menfolk, Burshtein points the finger of guilt just as squarely at the gals and how they react to the idea of marriage and men and being saved and sheltered. Not that this is all so wrong, mind you, but it's more about how this attitude can come to control one's life choices.

What makes the movie most enjoyable and penetrating, however, is the way in which the filmmaker treats all her characters: She lets us see them as they are, and not simply via her heroine's perspective. Consequently, they're richer and more interesting people -- from the unusual matchmaker, a visit to whom begins the movie, to Michal's friends and relatives (above), and especially the prospective "grooms" (a date or two with each that the movie treats us to).

From the initial no-can-do bridegroom (above) to the unusually alert and empathetic fellow Michal meets on her trip to the Ukraine (below), these guys are not the nitwit why-bother "dates" with which so many rom-coms regale us. The movie also makes it clear that this woman's self-image is not all that it might be (note how Michal manages to somehow reject what is being offered to her again and again).

As D-Day approaches and the possibilities seem to lessen, Ms Burshtein would appear to be painting her heroine into a corner from which she can't escape. But not quite. The filmmaker's insistence on addressing faith, religion and a woman's place in all this pays off -- but not at all in the way you will expect.

TrustMovies  could be way off-base here, but it seems to me that the filmmaker is indicting orthodox Jewish religion as offering its women far too little too late, thus forcing them into the kind of servitude (to god, or so the religion says, but funny how it's really to men) that renders them second-class. But how to get out of this?

Burshtein offers more questions than answers. But her questions are intelligent ones, and her movie is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining and smart. Just like her heroine.

From Roadside Attractions and running 110 minutes, The Wedding Plan opened last weekend in New York City and hits a number of other cities this Friday, May 19. Here in South Florida, it will play the Miami area at the AMC Aventura Mall 24, Regal's South Beach 18 and The Classic Gateway in Fort Lauderdale. In Palm Beach County look for it at the Regal Shadowood, Living Room Theaters, Cinemark Palace 20 and Movies of Delray and Movies of Lake Worth the latter on May 26), and the AMC City Place 20. Elsewhere around the country? I'm sure so, but I have not been able to locate a link to the locations in other areas. Good luck, as this movie is worth seeking out.

TABLE 19: Jeffrey Blitz & the Duplass Bros' adorable, funny, very smart new rom-com

I'm not as familiar with the television work of director Jeffrey Blitz (though I did see and enjoy his earlier films Rocket Science and Spellbound) as I am of the oeuvre of the Duplass Brothers, Jay and Mark, of whom I am an increasingly big fan. So I hope Mr. Blitz, shown below, will excuse me if I credit at least some of the success of the delightful new romantic comedy, TABLE 19, to the clever and entertaining screenwriting of these two bros. Their screenplay and dialog point you in one direction, then very smartly but quietly go in another, and the result proves a funny, intelligent and surprising look at a group of losers whom you will grow, against all odds, to love.

Led by the talented and quirky Anna Kendrick, below, center -- who, as usual, uses her charm and intelligence to help ground her character, along with the film itself -- the delightful ensemble gathered around her has been cast with an eye for both the bizarre and specific, and each actor comes through beautifully. Individually, each character proves oddball and interesting, yet together they create a kind of joyous ensemble of surprising strength.

One of the great virtues of the screenplay is how it leads us to imagine or believe certain things about certain characters but then allows us to see them more fully and honestly, as the film progresses. I shan't say just which characters this is most true of, but you'll know it soon enough. The Duplasses also have a lovely, subtle way with comedic situations. (Keep your eye on the jacket worn by ensemble member Lisa Kudrow (at left, below, who once again combines her gifts for comedy and emotion into one very strong characterization.)

The plot has to do with the disparate group of wedding guests seated at the titular Table 19, the table at this particular wedding in which all the unwanted guests have been assigned a seat. How this group meets, bonds and wreaks not havoc but something quite wonderful is what the film is all about. Craig Robinson (at right, above, and center, left, below) as Kudro's hubby -- their shower scene late in the film shows us, without a bit of undue pushing, how very far the US has come since the time of Richard and Mildred Loving -- proves a terrific addition to the ensemble.

The screenwriters handle everything from character turnarounds to terminal illness in pretty close to exemplary fashion (subtly and believably), while Mr. Blitz provides both grounding and sublime goofiness around which his ace cast can indulge itself. That cast includes a terrific June Squibb (at right, above), who portrays the nanny of the wedding's bride and her brother, while Tony Revolori (to the left of Squibb) proves that The Grand Budapest Hotel was no fluke and Stephen Merchant (to the left of Revolori) portrays a sad sack just-released-from-prison with the sweetest combination of kindness and strangeness.

A word should be also said for Wyatt Russell (above), who plays Kendrick's not-so-hot ex-boyfriend with a very nice range of motivations and emotions.

For rom-com lovers, Table 19 ought to be a must, if only to see what Blitz and the Duplasses can do with and add to the usual formula. The movie -- from Fox Searchlight and running a swift and funny 90-or-so minutes -- opens today at theaters everywhere. Click here to find one near you.

Nuptial streaming: Scott Gabriel's sweetly energetic THE PERFECT WEDDING enchants

One of the things that distinguishes "separatist" gay movies from those that are more inclusive is the moviemakers' refusal to broaden their canvas to reach farther than an all-GLBT/all-the-time cast of characters and concerns.  This "all gay, please!" approach, when done well, can certainly provide some fun, but often it makes for a rather circumscribed world. One of the lovely things about THE PERFECT WEDDING, the 2012 film from first-time/full-length director Scott Gabriel and screenwriters Ed Gaffney, Jason T. Gaffney and Suzanne Brockmann, is how geuinely concerned it seems with almost all of its characters, gay, straight, white, black, old, young, and so forth. In fact, the titular wedding involves a young woman intent on pleasing her parents, and her male fiance whose is willing to do whatever it takes to give everyone what they want.

It's the bride's gay brother, an on-the-wagon alcoholic (played by the handsome/ hunky Eric Aragon, right), his former lover, and that lover's good friend -- all of whom show up at the family's Florida mansion -- who end up being the center of attention here. Yet their carryings-on never detract from the concerns of the bride and groom nor from the siblings' parents, all of whom are pictured rather fully and warmly in this surprisingly sweet movie that wants to play fair by all its characters.

It does this, too, and in the process provides some genuine romance, comedy and charm. The ex-lover's friend, who accompanies him to the festivities, and who -- for purposes of plotting and drama -- must pretend to be the ex's current lover, is played by one of the screenwriters, Jason T. Gaffney.

As an actor, Mr. Gaffney (at left) possesses an appealingly goofy quality that, together with his own good looks and talent, makes him more than a fine foil for Mr. Aragon. How the movie first brings the two together via a game of charades proves an original and smart addition to the rom-com canon.

The film also handles its various inquiries -- into AA, the problems of pretense, and who, finally, a wedding is really for (the participants or their parents) -- with directness and intelligence.

In the large and talented cast (above), the biggest name in undoubtedly that of the late James Rebhorn (far left), a very good actor who only recently left us. Rebhorn does a lovely job in this, playing one of his sweetest and kindest roles.

Via its genuiness and simplicity, The Perfect Wedding, at 82 minutes, manages to entertain, make us think a bit, and finally becomes a joyous five-hankie movie about doing the right thing. You can view it now via Netflix streaming -- and elsewhere.

Say hello to the hybrid mockumentary: Victor Quinaz's BREAKUP AT A WEDDING

We've seen documentaries, we've seen mockumentaries, we've seen hybrid documentaries, and now it's time, I guess, to welcome the hybrid mock-umentary BREAKUP AT A WEDDING, the new whatzit from filmmaker Victor Quinaz. Just what is a hybrid mockumentary? Damned if I know, but this movie just seems a bit different from your Christopher Guest model, or last week's overblown version, Colossus, or any other kind of "mock" I can easily recall. Blatantly a fiction film, it still appears to be a documentary posing as as reality while clearly being unable to reach that precious plateau -- even as a fake "reality" movie.

Mr. Quinaz, shown at right -- who acts as director, co-writer, one of the film's producers and even has an acting role in the movie -- is handing us the notion that he's been hired to capture a couple's wedding on video (by now we know this routine very well, though the film that does it best, oddly enough, is the terrifically frisky, funny zombie movie [REC] 3), even though the twosome has decided (due to the bride, not the groom, who is nicely played by the filmmaker's brother, Philip Quinaz, below, left) that it is not actually getting married but will instead "fake it" for the relatives and guests.

How they do this and what ensues makes up most of the movie, which is relatively funny and sometimes charming but more often proves just a little bit off both base and key.

If you notice the photos above and below (this isn't fair, of course, but they are all I've found to use), you may detect a bit of a strained quality in the expressions on hand (particularly that of the bride, played by Alison Fyhrie, above and below). There's a sense here of trying too hard, and it seems to infect everything from writing to direction to performance.

Sometimes things come off well enough, at least, to allow us to sit back and enjoy. But more often that "pushing" sense occurs and we tighten up in expectation of, well, too much. This is not the best way, I think, to enjoy a comedy. But here, we must take to so-so with the good.

Comedy itself is one of the more difficult genres to get anything approaching agreement from audiences. One man's laugh is another man's lack of. I suspect there will be enough of the former to make this movie at least an OK experience. The "wedding" takes place on one of those multi-venue propositions at which several couples can marry at the same time on their own turf. My favorite section had to do with how to steal your liquor from an adjoining festivity (and if that festivity offers a "Star Wars" theme, all the better).

Breakup at a Wedding, from Oscilloscope Films and running, even at only 85 minutes, a bit too long, opens this coming Friday, August 2, at Brooklyn's IndieScreen theater, with one of the most famous of its producers -- Zachary Quinto -- appearing at select screenings for Q&As. The film was also released onto VOD and digital channels earlier this summer (and may still be playing there, if you're couch potato-inclined).

On DVD/Blu-ray: BACHELORETTE -- the VOD surprise is suddenly everywhere

For those of you who were a tad underwhelmed by Bridesmaids -- not very funny, not very good, but obvious as hell -- here's the movie on a similar subject that actually delivers. BACHELORETTE explores young women's feelings about other women: their friends and their not-really friends, and in so doing offers up a lot of frisky fun. With a stand-out performance from Kirsten Dunst and some very good ones from Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Adam Scott, James Marsden, an especially good one from Kyle Bornheimer and another nice turn from Rebel Wilson, the movie keeps firing on all four cylinders (yes, it is a relatively low-budget affair) as it beats some fancier models all to heck.

What's especially surprising about this film is how it begins as a crass but funny comedy-of-insult and manages to slowly make its way into a legitimately feel-good film about what weddings actually mean and, yes, why they're still (sort of) important. Written and directed by Leslye Headland (shown at right) from her original play, the movie has been cast extremely well, with the ensemble delivering the goods in literally every scene, so that the movement from nasty to nice works better than you could imagine.

The actresses (above) do a great job of delineating their character with both broad and later more subtle strokes, while the guys (below) are along for the ride as merely pleasant appendages (for a change), but they, too, come through just fine.

After a surprisingly good debut via VOD, and then a not-bad theatrical playoff, the movie -- from Radius-TWC and Anchor Bay Entertainment is suddenly everywhere now that the DVD and Blu-ray are out and about. You can find the film in any of the above formats, plus it's also streaming on Netflix. So you've really no excuse for not giving these Bachelorettes and their boys a whirl....

At Cinequest Film Fest: ONE SMALL HITCH from John Burgess and Dode B. Levenson

I've never been to the Cinequest Film Festival -- it's in San Jose, California, and its 23rd annual edition begins today -- but as I've been asked to check out a movie premiering there, I thought I'd look into the fest. Here's what its web site has to say:

Cinequest (CQFF) remains one of the last big festival bastions 

for the discovery of new and emerging film artists. 

CQFF presents a dynamic, 13-day event of 200 international 

films with over 600+ film artists, technologists, and professionals  

from 44 countries in attendance. 

Over 10,000 artists have attended CQFF to date.

(This year's Maverick Spirit is Salman Rushdie, below)

Sounds promising, no? And a look at this year's film schedule makes it seem even more so. But where to begin? With a roster of films divided into various "feeling" groups (how very California!) -- celebration, innovation, inspiration, thrills, laughs, life and love -- there's plenty to choose from and no way that any one person could manage to see 'em all.

The film I'd been sent -- a smart little rom-com  titled ONE SMALL HITCH -- turned out to be a pleasant and quite enjoyable movie, well-written, very well-acted and directed, and with technical polish to spare. If you're a rom-com fan, this one should sate your appetite nicely.

Directed by John Burgess (at right) from a screenplay by Dode Levenson that begins with a smart premise and opens up gamely from that point on, the movie packs in lots of funny, sweet, romantic moments that jump off from believable reality -- but never jump too far. Thanks to its attractive, energetic cast, the film sails along to exactly the point we expected to reach. But getting there -- which is what makes rom-coms work (or not) -- proves both fun and, on occasion, surprising.

Arranged marriages are said to work as well as not (just ask India!), and though most rom-coms wouldn't get near anything so "unloveable" as that, still, they often create scenarios in which two seemingly very different people are somehow forced into a situation of togetherness and end up "in love." If that's doesn't reek of arranged marriage, Hollywood screenwriter-style, what does?

So it is with One Small Hitch, which actually begins with an event -- a woman's betrayal by a man -- almost identical to that of a movie we covered just the other day, Girls Against Boys. Yet how very different is the outcome (that's what separates slasher/horror films from rom-coms).

In addition to the oil-and-water mix provided by our "couple," there's also the families' religious differences that date back entertainment-wise to Abie's Irish Rose (probably even further back than that). All this makes for some good chuckles, with nothing taken any farther than reality and sensible comedy might allow.

The fine cast is topped by Aubrey Dollar and Shane McRae (three photos above) as the odd couple, and Janet Ulrich Brooks (above, second from left, and two photos above), Daniel J. Travanti, Ron Dean (far left, above) and Mary Jo Faraci (second from right, above) as their parents, with good work also coming from Heid Johanningmeier (below, as the sexy "other woman" who is also pretty wise), and Robert Belishi (shown at bottom) and Rebecca Spence (far right, above) as brother and sister-in-law.

Burgess' film, if not cliche-free, is at least not ham-fisted in the use of the tried-and-true. But please, filmmakers: Can we have a moratorium on the scene which our heroine (and maybe her friend) try on various outfits, one after another, accompanied by fast editing, cutesy movements and bouncy music. This was clever and original nearly a quarter century ago in Pretty Woman but has lost some luster with each use since.

One Small Hitch, via Principle Entertainment, will play the CQFF this Friday, March 1, at 6:45 at the Camera 12 Cinema; again Sunday March 3 at 10:30 am (think of it as church) at the San Jose Rep Theatre; and finally on Thursday, March 7, at 4:15pm, back at the Camera 12 Cinema. If not picked up for theatrical distribution, TrustMovies expects that this one will, at the very least, make a deal for VOD, streaming and DVD release.