Textuality

Directed by Warren P. Sonoda, Textuality follows Jason Lewis’ Breslin as he attempts to get over a bad breakup – he was dumped at the altar – by sleeping with a succession of attractive ladies. It’s not until Breslin literally crashes into Carly Pope’s Simone that he begins to experience real feelings again, with the revelation that Simone is just as promiscuous as Breslin inevitably causing problems for their would-be relationship. It’s a relatively promising setup that’s employed to consistently underwhelming effect by Sonoda, as the filmmaker, working from a script by Liam Card, has infused Textuality with a distressingly sluggish sensibility that holds the viewer at arm’s length from start to finish. The less-than-enthralling atmosphere is exacerbated by Card’s ongoing difficulties in transforming any of the characters into wholeheartedly compelling figures, with the episodic nature of the movie’s midsection resulting in a pervasive lack of momentum that proves disastrous. And while the meet-cute between the two protagonists is indeed quite cute, the viewer is simply unable to work up a rooting interest in Breslin and Simone’s inevitable coupling – which is undoubtedly a shame given the strength of both Lewis and Pope’s charismatic work here. By the time the interminable, seemingly endless third act rolls around, Textuality has firmly established itself as a misguided romantic comedy that’s sure to leave even the hardiest of romcom fans cold.

*1/2 out of ****

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