Breaking Upwards
by Warren Curry
4/14/10
Breaking up is hard to do, especially if you decide to drag the process out in an especially ill-advised manner. At least partly based on the real-life unraveling of Zoe Lister-Jones and Darryl Wein’s romance, who, between them, wrote, directed, produced, catered and edited this film, “Breaking Upwards” is a realistic, down-to-earth romantic comedy.
Of course, the film isn’t without flaws, and chief among them is a haphazard sense of pacing that results in a handful of dead spots during its second half. A movie that benefits from its sprightly energy curiously feels longer than a mere 88 minutes. But Wein and Lister-Jones are careful not to outwit themselves, and we are thankfully spared uncomfortably forced moments. In theory, a film about a relationship between 20-something New York hipsters has the potential to be riddled with damaging pitfalls, but the main characters, though not always likeable, are generally identifiable and that maintains our involvement.
After several years together, Daryl and Zoe are bored with their relationship. They’re not quite ready to break up, so they decide to create something of a long-term separation plan. For starters, Daryl will move out of their apartment and back in with his parents (much to his mother’s chagrin) and they will agree to take a few days off from each other every week. It isn’t completely defined when they can start dating other people, but it’s evident early on that neither person is comfortable with the other forging a new relationship.
Zoe is an actress, currently working on an off-Broadway play, who resents being passed over at auditions in favor of women who look more like models. Daryl appears to be a writer, though he earns his living babysitting a woman’s toddler son. Daryl’s mother (Julie White, the film’s comic highlight) is concerned about her son’s suddenly unstable love life and vague career direction. Zoe’s freewheeling single mother (Andrea Martin) stands in stark contrast to her counterpart, but it’s clear she wants Daryl to stay in her daughter’s life.
Any micro-budget indie about young adult relationships will draw a Mumblecore comparison, but as director Wein states in the press notes, he was aiming to achieve different goals. “Breaking Upwards” is structured fairly conventionally, reaching a dramatic peak at a Passover Seder, and doesn’t possess the loose, off-the-cuff vibe that is one of Mumblecore’s defining traits. This works to the film’s advantage in that the narrative remains focused, but the characters may have had more resonance had they not seemed so molded. Unfortunately, I never felt as if Daryl or Zoe were capable of surprising behavior.
But what makes the above observation a fairly moot point is that they are an interesting couple, loving, caring, manipulative and self-absorbed. It’s tempting to knock the film’s premise for being hokey until you remember that it has some basis in reality. I’m sure Zoe and Daryl aren’t the first couple who assumed they could orchestrate a pain-free break up, and it’s comforting to think this film might serve as a cautionary tale for others who may consider making a similar attempt.
Wein directs with a light touch throughout, which allows the dramatic flourishes to make an impact rather than devolving into melodrama. “Breaking Upwards” isn’t as absorbing as some other recent films that have mined the same general territory (namely “The Puffy Chair”), yet its insight and charm are a winning combination.
contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com
Breaking Upwards (US/2009)
Director: Daryl Wein
Cast: Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister-Jones, Julie White, Peter Friedman, Andrea Martin, Olivia Thirlby
Not rated, 88 minutes
(IFC Films; opened in New York City and Video on Demand April 2, 2010; opened in Los Angeles April 9, 2010)