Skip to content

Nights and Weekends

Reviews of movies, books, music, and board games

Primary Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Pin Posts
  • Privacy
  • Home
  • I Do…Until I Don’t

I Do…Until I Don’t

kdk September 1, 2017
0 0
Read Time:2 Minute, 10 Second

Whether you’ve been married for five decades, five years, or even just five months, you know that marriage can be tough. And in the comedy I Do…Until I Don’t, writer/director Lake Bell explores the trials and challenges of marriage—as well as its joys and companionship—through the eyes of a bitter and pretentious filmmaker.



I Do…Until I Don’t follows documentarian Vivian Prudeck (Dolly Wells) as she sets out to make her latest film—one that shows that the institution of marriage is outdated. Instead, she proposes a marriage contract of seven years with an option to renew. She sets out to use three Florida couples at various stages in their relationships to illustrate her point—often manipulating her subjects to get the desired result. But she soon finds out that, with these couples, proving her point might not be as easy as she expected.



As both an actress and a director, Lake Bell has never been one to shy away from the awkward and the goofy—and her latest film certainly employs both. I Do…Until I Don’t revels in the awkwardness of relationships—those private moments and strange discussions that most people tend to keep private. And the awkwardness even spills out into the rest of the film, too—into the things that the characters do outside the privacy of their own homes. And while some of those moments can be amusing, others just feel forced and unnatural.



The characters, meanwhile, definitely have their ups and downs—so many, in fact, that it’s hard to get a good feel for any of them. Really, the only character who doesn’t seem to be in a constant state of flux is Vivian—but her condescension and constant manipulation of everyone (not to mention her completely over-the-top filmmaking style) won’t exactly endear her to audiences.



The story here may be rather haphazard, but it still fits into the standard romantic comedy formulas, too. Despite all of the randomness and awkwardness, though, the characters do eventually find their way—and their stories come together in a way that’s surprisingly sweet. But, as is often the case with real relationships, the road to that happily-ever-after is pretty rocky.



I Do…Until I Don’t has a few entertaining moments—and some lovable ones, too. But it’s also awkward and a little jumbled. So if you haven’t already seen Bell’s 2013 debut feature, In a World…, I recommend checking that one out instead.





Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:

Share

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

About Post Author

kdk

Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it. Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course. As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com). Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
kdk@nightsandweekends.com
http://www.NightsAndWeekends.com
Happy
Happy
0 0 %
Sad
Sad
0 0 %
Excited
Excited
0 0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 0 %
Angry
Angry
0 0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 0 %

kdk

Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.

Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.

As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).

Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.

See author's posts

Categories

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

You may have missed

Road to Perth
  • Melodrama
  • ON FILM

Road to Perth

January 7, 2022
American Siege
  • Cardiac Corner
  • Melodrama
  • ON FILM

American Siege

January 7, 2022
Good as Gold (Whatever After #14)
  • COVER TO COVER
  • Kiddie Lit
  • Listen In...

Good as Gold (Whatever After #14)

January 4, 2022
Just Haven’t Met You Yet
  • Chick Lit
  • COVER TO COVER

Just Haven’t Met You Yet

December 28, 2021

Pages

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Pin Posts
  • Privacy
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.