SPOILER ALERT!! [Yes, right from the beginning]
‘The One I Love’ is a film that I loved to be the one and only mind f**k I want to watch over and over to pick up new details that I missed on the first viewing.
The film opens with Ethan (Duplass) and Sophie (Moss) seemingly at the end of their rope in couples therapy – a nod of acknowledgement to Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The spark they once had is gone, they can’t remember the last time they had sex and, as Sophie shares with their therapist (Ted Danson), happiness has become something they have to re-create from memories of a better past. Instead of the off-camera voice of William Fichtner, it’s the on-camera Ted Danson.
But even these early scenes hint at something strange at work, as the therapy sessions alternate between what appear to be two different timelines, complete with different wardrobes and slightly different hairstyles for Ethan and Sophie.
The story ramps up with the ‘foreplay’ of this mind f**k when the couple drive to a nearby vacation home in Ojai, Chumash Indians called it Ojai, which derives from the Ventureño Chumash word ʼawhaý meaning "moon", at the urging of their therapist. He swears that struggling couples have had great success rekindling their romance in the secluded locale, and it initially looks like a break from society is exactly what the pair needs. Sophie cooks dinner, they smoke pot and have great conversation. Sophie later wanders over to the quaint guesthouse, where Ethan meets her and they make love. Returning to the main house, Sophie finds Ethan asleep on the couch with no memory of what happened between them. The surreal twists only increase from there, as Ethan and Sophie face reminders of why they originally fell in love and surprising temptations to split up for good.
Throughout its brisk 90-minute running time, “The One I Love” reinvigorates the romantic-comedy genre with an infusion of sci-fi/fantasy elements and sharp scripting. It’s no coincidence the film features onscreen references to both “The Twilight Zone” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
It’s difficult to finish off the ‘foreplay’ to deliver the ‘climax of this brilliant work the two stars do here without disclosing plot details better left vague! Suffice to say they both create dazzlingly specific characters with great depth and (importantly) humanity. Although audiences may associate Duplass more readily with comedy and Moss with drama — especially given their work on the small screen — “The One I Love” breaks down genre barriers and gives both plenty of space to showcase substantial comedic and dramatic chops.
So if you’re to down for this type of action, then run up to the box office, drop your hard-earned cheddar, only to settle in for a satisfying night in your movie seat. Not only will be satisfied, so much so that’ll you’ll want this over and over. Oh, and over, and over. Are we still talking about the film? Oh man, this mind f**k is the one I love!
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