Ex-Girlfriends is not a very good movie. It’s also not a very original movie, borrowing a little too heavily from the likes of Woody Allen and Whit Stillman to feel like a film of its own. Nevertheless, it’s a mildly entertaining little diversion that strikes a few honest chords.
Written and directed by Alexander Poe, the film follows “Graham” (Poe), a twenty-something New Yorker who finds himself smack in the middle of someone else’s relationship crisis when two of his ex-girlfriends (Kristen Connolly and Jennifer Carpenter) are dating the same guy. In his efforts to help the two women resolve the problem – and hopefully win one of them back in the process – he manages to learn a few important lessons about life and love.
The screenplay isn’t terrible, despite its bland familiarity. One of its better points is that it certainly feels relevant, what with its commentary on dating in today’s technology-driven world. The trouble is that while it feels very “now,” it doesn’t feel very new. Anyone who makes a habit of watching indie films has probably seen at least one about neurotic New Yorkers muddling their way through their relationships, and Poe doesn’t approach the subject with any new insight. He does possess a certain understated wit, however, which makes the movie quite watchable, if not particularly compelling.
Another of the film’s highlights is its cast. Poe himself is a charmingly peculiar screen presence, calling to mind a lumpier Josh Radnor, and Connolly makes a fine wounded ingénue, all doe eyes and anxious smile. The real highlight, though, is Carpenter, whose piercing intensity and general air of violence make her frighteningly funny.
I can’t say I wholeheartedly recommend Ex-Girlfriends, but if you’ve got an hour and 12 minutes to kill, it’s not necessarily a waste of time. If nothing else, it establishes Poe as a filmmaker with definite potential, provided he can find a voice that is uniquely his own.
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