A Review of ‘A Fantastic Relationship’: A fairly funny romantic comedy about truths emerging after a break-up
After a sudden break-up, an ex-couple try to put on act to impress relatives and hosts at an upcoming dinner.
‘A Fantastic Relationship’: A fairly funny romantic comedy about truths emerging after a break-up
Cast: Nikki McKenzie, Bridge Stuart, Hilty Bowen, Samantha Cutaran, Ben Leland Earl, Will Madden, Hayley O’Connor, Ashley Denise Robinson, Gerard Sanders, Dustin Taylor Hahn, Will Westwater, Reed Windle
Critic’s Rating: 3 Stars out of 5
Director: Bridge Stuart
Duration: 1 hour, 28 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Language: English
Release: 2024
What’s it about?
After a sudden break-up, an ex-couple try to put on act to impress relatives and hosts at an upcoming dinner.
Review:
Viewers are in for an occasionally whacky comedy about a couple’s tense relationship and the handful of quirky characters they encounter while trying to come to a resolution. Themes of projected personal success and sibling rivalry, not to mention, jealousy and love, unfold during a tempestuous day between the easy-going but snarky Brian (Bridge Stuart) and his self-obsessed girlfriend Katie (Nikki McKenzie). However, the articulate dialogue which is infused with droll humour and amusing banter, along with a few unexpected plot developments, makes for only a partially rewarding experience. The roles, while distinctive and pretty well-written, tend to get a little too flaky - bordering on monotony. Still, there is something appealing about all the shifting attitudes and bumpy emotions which are guaranteed to evoke a heathy amount of smirks and giggles.
The premise is simple: after a sudden and vociferous break-up, Katie is determined that Brian and she pose as a successful and thriving couple – all to impress her more prosperous sister Natalie (Samantha Cutaran) who is visiting town with her fiancé Luke (Will Westwater). The duo’s split that occurs from something as trivial as an argument over Brian’s spontaneous decision to get a tattoo, causes the befuddled guy to walk out of their house and into the open doors of his best male buddy Derek (Dustin Taylor Hahn). But as soon as Natalie’s fortuitous phone call comes with an invitation for a dinner party that evening, Katie lures Brian into her scheme. However, just his presence at the get-together isn’t going to be enough. Katie wants to makeover Brian’s whole image, which includes feigning his job as that of a classy investment banker. To garner information on how to speak like one, Katie takes Brian to meet her colleague – the socially awkward but sincere Arnold (Will Madden). However, the tutorial soon descends into vitriol.
Furthermore, Brian resents what he suspects is a mutual admiration between Katie and Arnold. A short while later, Katie discovers that Brian himself has been keeping a lady friend named Hannah (Hayley O’Connor) under his hat, and she insists on meeting her. The free-spirited Hannah’s admissions of her strange dynamic with Brian and the odd presence of another man Chris (Reed Windle) at her place, leaves Katie amused and Brian utterly confused. Desperate for some proper perspective, Brian urges Katie to take him to meet an old client of her’s – Darrell (Gerard Sanders) – who Brian thinks is a therapist but whose job turns out to be quite different. Will the conflicted Brian end up going along with Katie’s plan? Is a showdown likely at the dinner? Also, where will Arnold figure in this situation? And does Natalie have some startling personal revelations up her sleeve? Yes, plenty of drama erupts by the time the evening is through.
Writer-director-star Bridge Stuart uses some amusing analogies to describe Katie each time they verbally face off. These include likening her to a black hole/void and the behaviour of a whale with its prey. There is also some funny comparisons to Arnold and different kinds of birds as well as of Brian’s aversion to wines which leads to an unexpected eventuality. Scenes which also work well are when Katie’s BFF Laura (Hilty Bowen) suggests an unappetising alternative to Brian; and when Brian’s own confidante Derek dissolves into utter exasperation at his pal’s relentless complaints about Katie. Yes, Stuart has peopled his script well and throws in a fair amount of surprises, truths and humanity. But the film’s conclusion suffers from being a tad predictable while tying up various threads into an all-too-convenient resolution.
Still, Stuart tries to make a sincere statement about how people desire to be better than who they are, and how such projection is often superficial and futile. In today’s financially-gauged society, progress should not have to do with material possessions or the traditional idea of familial bliss. Also, an interesting touch to Stuart’s constantly-simmering relationship with McKenzie is how they bond over bitching about the film’s other characters – a tendency that highlights the fact that the harder one attempts to achieve something notable in life, the more their flaws become apparent. Movie buffs might be inclined to consider this film as a comedic take on the famous 1966 adaptation of the Edward Albee play - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? After all, it takes quite a bit of pungent spice and some amount of sugar too to make for A Fantastic Relationship.
