Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 80% (Critics) / 77% (Audience)
Directed By: Charlie McDowell
Written By: Justin Lader
Starring: Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson
Studio: Radius-TWC
Synopsis: Struggling with a marriage on the brink of falling apart, a couple escapes for a weekend in pursuit of their better selves, only to discover an unusual dilemma that awaits them. – (Source)
The Good
The initial twist is so brilliant and the fact that it is never actually explained to the audience is neither frustrating or does anything to diminish the enjoyment of the film because everything that happens as a result is pure perfection.
Mark Duplass and Elizabeth have great chemistry that carries over in scenes where they are at one another’s throats just as believably as when they are deeply in love and happy. Their acting is flawless.
The Bad
At some points it started to go a but overboard with the farcical elements. Luckily the writer and director were able to pull themselves back from the brink before falling over a cliff.
The Ugly
The ambiguity of the ending and what we are supposed to believe seemed very trite and obvious and not worthy of the rest of this good movie.
Final Verdict: I am not a big fan of romance films but throw in a healthy dose of sci-fi teamed with a couple of really good actors and I am sold every time. THE ONE I LOVE is smart, clever and deeply personal even while juggling some true wackiness. The final twist was not something I was a fan of but it does nothing to diminish everything that came before which was so good.
Grade: B+
