Allan Watched "Dating & New York"
As enjoyable as it is predictable, Dating & New York does not exactly cover new ground, but it’s genuine performances, positive pacing, energetic score, and light-hearted approach makes this indie rom-com a fine way to spend 90 minutes.
Gut Feeling
I really expected to hate Dating & New York, an indie rom-com written and directed by Youtuber Jonah Feingold. It’s premise is painfully well-trodden: a young couple signs a contract that they will be friends with benefits and nothing more while navigating being single in New York City. The choices made throughout are cliched and predictable with a sprinkle of modern app-based dating culture, and there are some painfully awkward scenes that should have never made it to the final cut, but with all of this said, I kinda liked it!
Film-Saving Leads
What makes this film watchable, let alone enjoyable, is the charisma and likability of the stars Jaboukie Young-White and Francesca Reale. Jaboukie, the Twitter legend and stand-up standout, plays Milo, a single early-20-something who lives with his parents and has big plans for love but always brings his relationships to a screeching halt with his overthinking and manipulation. Reale plays Wendy, who, well, is pretty much the same person, but more comes on too hard with her significant others and pushes them away, so she wants to just be single for a while.
The two characters are tropes with NYC cliches dripping from their bones, but their lighthearted hearted humor and subtly acted scenes are actually quite captivating, and you end up really liking both of them. The characters represent how the film isn’t taking itself too seriously, and they really are a delightful film duo. Their relationship’s path, a predictable winding road of two friends with benefits who can’t keep things casual, is really just a vehicle for funny scenes and commentary of what it is like to be searching for the right person, when the people around you seem to be figuring it out. They have great chemistry and drive the movie from common moment to common moment, making you enjoy the ride even if you knew the destinations.
Familiar Faces and a Broadway Score
The other elements that save this film from drowning in its own cliches are the small roles played by familiar comedians you have seen on big shows or viral tweets. Catherine Cohen, a hilarious Twitter follow, brings needed fire power as Jessie, Wendy’s best friend who falls for Milo’s best friend Hank (Brian Muller), and the wit she displays in her viral tweets and videos translates nicely in the secondary love story of the film. Jerry Ferrara, Entourage’s Turtle as you know him, effectively narrates the film and plays a small role as Milo’s doorman, while SNL’s Alex Moffat brings some funny into a scene we all could have written as a stop along Wendy’s love-seeking journey. You also get the brilliant Eva Victor for one great break-up scene on a train. In all, you just keep getting scene after scene that keeps you not hating a film you are supposed to hate.
Add in a slightly cheesy yet effective continuous score the keeps the momentum pushing forward, and adds a stage-like quality to the film, and Dating & New York ends up as a final product that leaves you liking it despite, well, everything about the story.
Random Thoughts
The water color painted intro filled with city scapes and parks is actually quite delightful, and sets a tone musically for the film.
The cliched lines really beg you to hate the movie. At one point Hank literally says “that’s New York City” and other similar cringes leave the characters mouths several times.
They also steal Charlotte’s famous breakup logic in Sex and the City (a series I’ve watched beginning to end no less than six times): It takes you half the duration of a relationship to get over said breakup. It is such a direct reference that it bugs me there is no “nod” to its source.
Another annoying sentence uttered by Hank is New York City is the only place “you can get a toothbrush, toilet paper, and a turkey sandwich all in one place.” Which besides being a dopey line, is also a lie! You can get those things at Wawa, 7-11, or really any other gas station. Not that the sandwich at a gas station is as quality as a bodega or Wawa sandwich, and I get the bodega-positive point, but it was hard to digest the line.
There are some very artsy shots that work despite themselves. The shot of Milo’s phone in the foreground popping up with meaningful texts while he is in the blurred background welcoming in a different girl to the apartment is well done, and considering the low budget nature of the movie, there are plenty of stunning exterior New York shots.
I don’t care what anyone says, even if it is a cliche, there is not a better place in the world than autumn in New York City.
I started to think as I was watching that a younger audience may watch this and have never seen any of the classic New York City rom-coms, and think this is unique and authentic. I guess every person has to have their first NYC rom-com.
Jonah Feingold definitely referred to the city as “a character, not just the setting” at some point in his life, and he definitely dreamed of making a Woody Allen-type movie when he grew up. This movie does feel like someone describing what they think Manhattan is, without ever seeing the movie or knowing what it is. (This movie is 10000% less creepy at least!)
There is something almost sweet about the fact that this film wastes no energy avoiding bromide scenes and moments; it almost leans into the fact that none of this is original. It makes the performances that much more impressive, really, because you end up being ok with it.
Give the ice cream scooper an Oscar, dammit!
It is great seeing extended Jaboukie screen time. His episode of Crashing is one of my favorites, and he is more than just a Twitter legend, he is a great performer. But also, of course, #FreeJaboukie.
Quick Hits:
How many times have I seen this movie?
This was my first time! It came out last weekend and I ordered it on-demand for $5.99.
Where was I watching it?
In my office, drinking what was left of my ice coffee and cleaning out my email.
Favorite trivia about the movie
Jonah Feingold’s Instagram is actually a cool timeline of him making his indie flick.
Favorite part
I do love the subway scene. I’d watch Eva Victoria in anything.
Least favorite part
There are two scenes where I guess Wendy’s imagination is coming to life? They are so weird and out of place, and it makes you think that maybe the plan was to have a thread of her inner thoughts being played out, but they instead cut nine of them, while inexplicably leaving these two in.
Would I recommend this movie?
Listen, if you can handle heavy handed cliches and want to turn your brain off for some lighthearted fun, you can do worse than Dating & New York.
So What Does Allan Give It?
One thumbs up! Overall, a score of 58. I wanted to hate it, but against all odds, I enjoyed Dating & New York.
