A couple gets into an argument at their cocktail party that escalates until it brings an abrupt end to the festivities. They and their guests decide to re-create the entire night, again and again, to determine who was right.
When the film opens, Jack (Dan Fogler) and Lisa (Emma Bell) are heading to bed after hosting a party for a small group of friends. When they can’t seem to agree on things that were said or done, they both decide that the best thing to do is to have to party over again and pay more attention in order to build each other’s defense. Initially, they do not tell the group the reason they are hosting a do-over, but when things get tense, they realize it is important to tell the truth in order to gain their input.
At first peek, I thought this storyline was a novel idea. Two extremely passionate individuals have thought of a clever way to find a real solution to a common problem. More sooner than later, I find that this method of one-upmanship is mounting up to be a colossal problem. Typically, when couples don’t agree on something, they agree to disagree and move on, or they both fight tooth and nail to convince the other that there is a better result to be achieved. In this particular instance, or series of instances, it appears that there are more underlying problems and each time they try to recreate the original setting, it gets more complicated. Not only are Jack and Lisa getting more frustrated with one another, their nice little circle of friends, who have agreed to support them while they are seeking resolution, are now finding fault within their own partnerships, thus elevating “The Argument” to a constant resetting of hooks and jabs that cause a greater divide within the sets of couples as well as within the entire group that held the original party together.
The underlying problem seems to be that neither Jack nor Lisa are satisfied with their acting and writing careers and seemingly with each other. While each has had small successes, neither is mature enough to hold themselves accountable for the lackluster results of each of their journeys to success. All of the friends in the group have professional roles or a great interest in the arts, but they too have infighting that is exposed in the midst of Jack and Lisa’s debate. After three or four attempts at re-creating the party, the entire plot becomes a circus with each couple juggling inconspicuous acts, while their judgment of each other starts to pour as freely as the wine that keeps being passed around. Jealousy, envy, disdain, and blatant disrespect for one another comes to the forefront and the humor that initially fueled interest has turned into a psychopathic battle of wits that is confusing and no longer entertaining to the partygoers as well as the audience.
Director Robert Schwartzman does a good job coming up with a workable idea and strong characters that would seem interesting and feasible to the average person. It appears though, that he didn’t account for the repetitive activity to become annoying, racially-biased, and fruitless. If you are a true lover of the arts, perhaps you can find some joy in the stereotypical portrayal of the life of writers and actors, however, if you’re looking for artistic value, you may want to seek it outside of repetitive chaos.
Now available in Select Theaters and On-Demand
