Review of Love & Air Sex (2014) by Jesse O — 21 Feb 2016

I seem to say this a lot, but this is not what I would call a great movie, yet I still enjoyed it. Part of it is the approach to its break-up story. Stan, essentially, flies back to Austin, Texas when he finds out that his ex will be in town for that weekend.

He's hoping to 'accidentally' run into her which would, in turn, lead to their reconciliation. What works about the movie is that Stan and Cathy, the ex in this case, are never actually seen together on camera, with the exception of flashbacks at the beginning and photos, until the ending.

So the film sees them, separately of course, going on dates with different people and how they struggle to reconcile what they're doing with the fact that, in their hearts, they still want to be with their ex.

And, of course, there's the air sex competition, which actually does serve a purpose and not just as the comedic relief portion of the film. It might not serve a purpose in the main 'story', but it is there for a reason.

The movie has likable characters and some good lines. The only thing holds the film back is its lack of comedic consistency. I do think, however, that the film offers some insight into break-ups and how it affects those involved.

From the couple to even their friends. It's not what I would call super complex, but I appreciate the effort put into, at least, trying to do something that's a little more thoughtful than your typical rom-com.

I think it does try to avoid giving into the cliches associated with the genre. Plus you genuinely like the characters and you really do want to see them move on. It's clear that there's still a lot of love there between Stan and Cathy, but it's obvious that their time has come and gone and it's time to move on.

Hell, the movie does a better job at telling Stan and Cathy's love story, while not actually having them interact at all, than other movies have in featuring the main characters in each others' presence all the time.

Think about that for a second. That's actually really kind of sad. And, the thing is, that they actually don't tell you one bit of their relationship. You're never told what happened, if it was a bad break-up, how were they as a couple.

Nothing. I mean it's sort of implied that they just grew apart since their respective dreams took them to Los Angeles (Stan) and New York (Cathy). So, really, it's nothing short of impressive how they do a great job at telling their story without actually giving us any of the details.

The cast is definitely a strong one, just full of likable characters and actors. Really, going back and reviewing this movie, this is clearly a better movie than 2.5 stars, the original rating, so I'm bumping it up to 3.

Might not be that much of a difference, but I thought the film did some cool stuff that made it feel different, while still being enjoyable, from your mainstream rom-com fare. The ending is also very poignant and effective in showcasing that Stan and Cathy, ***SPOILERS*** are both moving on.

They don't even say anything to each other. It was really well done. So yea, this movie is better now than it was when I finished it. I might be over-rating this, but I definitely thought this was a solid little movie.

It has its issues, but it's got some smart writing and a good cast. Can't really go wrong with that. Solid recommendation right here.