Review of Peter and Vandy (2009) by Jim H — 07 Feb 2011

Essentially, this film is a very basic love story, filled with all the requisite elements of a modern romantic comedy. The couple gets together, breaks up, and ... well, can you guess the end? But it clings to non-linear story-telling as though Tarantino-esque tricks will save it from the seventh ring of cliche hell. To some degree the fractured scenes kept me engaged, but it was only to the extent that I was trying to place the characters in time. If it were made next year, I would have said that this film is a cheap imitation of Blue Valentine. But whereas Blue Valentine juxtaposed the two stories to stunning effect in order to climax the joining and the separation at the same time, there is no such order to Peter and Vandy. The reasons for the time shifts are never readily apparent and don't add to the film's dramatic effect.

Additionally, the peanut butter and jelly scene attempts to either be brutal in the the tradition of Closer and Scenes from a Marriage or funny in the tradition of Hannah and Her Sisters, but Peter's reaction to the way Vandy makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (with two knives though only one is necessary in Peter's view) is so over-the-top that we end up losing respect for both characters. Peter's loud, profane diatribe is at times quite scary, and when Vandy stays with him, we can't help but wonder why.

Overall, this isn't a film with anything new to say or any new way to say it.