āUntogetherā can be described as a film thatās, by several degrees, uninteresting, unrelatable, and almost unwatchable. However, the word āalmostā is important to remember here. After sitting through the first scene, a scene that has Dornanās āNickā asking if he can complete his act of lovemaking in the face of Jemima Kirkeās āAndrea,ā I expected to ultimately like it less than I did. Her response, by the way, made it clear she didnāt know him enough for that action to occur… just yet. Iām not going to tell you that I liked the movie but rather summarize it by saying it does succeed in being unique. However, itās the struggle for that uniqueness that also made it so frustrating to watch. Instead of taking the audience down a more structured path, the storyline was all over the place. What could have been flagged a triumph of a directorial debut for Emma Forrest, who also wrote the script, will instead be considered a veritable disaster.Ā
With Emma Forrestās script, weāre given small flashes into several dysfunctional lives that arenāt defined enough to care anything about. Itās as if she’s telling a well-guarded secret but still trying desperately to hide it from her audience. By the time we learn what sheās kept hidden from us, it may be too late. We may have already developed some animosity for the way she controlled the flow of information and decided weāre not going to like the film. If you stick it out, itās only to see how everything works out for Andrea but not necessarily because of any clearly defined genius on the behalf of the filmmaker. Yes. Thatās a win for her writing because there are glimpses of reflection and deep contemplation with Andrea, but the real reason to stay is for the acting. Actresses and real-life sisters, Jemima Kirke and Lola Kirke, are magnetic and unforgettable.
We follow the friends-with-benefits relationship of Andrea, a writer who recently met (and enjoys time and sex with) Nick, the writer of a popular memoir. Sheās attempting to get to know him better because he makes her feel safe. With the dispirited and dismal dialogue they share and the degrading sex they have, I canāt fathom Andrea being interested longā¦ maybe heās a phase. Sheās young and excitable and, Iām happy to report, does eventually school Nick about how to love āem and leave āem. Using his celebrity, he likes to go through women as if theyāre used tissue but he finds Andrea rather difficult to let go of. His character couldnāt get more self-centered and shallow, so he becomes shaken when she doesnāt play along like the others. Once you get to know her character, you revel in her strength and canāt believe sheād want anyone like him. Did she lose a bet? As Iāve mentioned, to his face there are times when she refuses to feed his narcissism, but when heās not around, she canāt get the hot mess out of her head.
The set-up for her sister Tara (Lola) is bleak. So much so that itās hardly worth mentioning. Sheās with Ben (Mendelsohn), who worships her every move but instead desires David (Crystal), a rabbi who came into her spa for a massage. I feel compelled to mention that an unrecognizable Jennifer Grey plays his jealous wife, Josie. She too is a character this movie could have done without.
If you’d like to see competent actors deliver some thought-provoking and provocative lines of dialogue, itāll take some patience on your part, but the movie will deliver on this front. You might want to watch this because you canāt fight the urge to see Dornan. If this is the case, youāll be sad to learn that he covers his face with a thick beard that not only hides his beauty but doesnāt fit the character. He mumbles throughout the movie, as well, so I must congratulate Forrest on her choice of hiring the Kirke sisters. They save the film. At least she got things right with some of the casting.
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