Two Girls and a Guy describes a love triangle-
the trouble being that the two woman don't realize
the polygonal nature of the situation until about
10 minutes into the film and 10 months into the entire
affair.
|
The object of the women's affections
is an actor (who has a beautiful apartment where
all the action occurs) who can't seem to stop acting.
For 10 months he has convinced each woman that he has
eyes (and other body parts) only for her, using precisely
the same declarations and body language with each woman. This facade lasts up until
the women meet in front of his apartment building, both planning to
surprise him after a 2 week trip. The surprise is on
all three of them.
The film feels like a play, with almost all of the action in "real time." Dialog moves this movie, full of loud, back-and-forth analyzing, reminiscent of Kevin Smith's writing in "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy." The small cast does an excellent job: Robert Downey Jr's range of talents (including singing and creative improvisation) are reflected in his character, as well as a certain self-centeredness. Heather Graham's performance is brilliant in its reserve, while Natasha Gregson Wagner plays a street-smart pixie who is very brash but very appealing. |
This movie almost received the dreaded NC-17 rating,
though it's very difficult to understand why it would
get anything worse than a PG-13; NYPD Blue has much
more explicit moments, and neither have any nudity.
Salonmagazine.com has a very interesting
Article on the director's battle with the ratings board
What the movie really brought out is how different the two romances set up were, despite all of the surface similarities. (With the guy splitting the week into 3 days and 3 days for each of his lovers.) As the movie progress, it draws out these reactions more and more. It was interesting comparing the women's reactions to the Don's point of view in Garrison Keillor's Don Giovanni Overall, this is a worthwhile flick, exploring territory that goes well beyond the typical love-triangle setup. |