Indie Film Review “I Swiped The Wrong One” Not QUITE your conventional rom-com, well done, but slightly lacking emotionally
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First, the Recap:
Why can’t dating be easy?? While some in this world may be perfectly content living their lives alone with the freedom to do what they wish whenever they want, more of us tend to long to find that ideal relationship that somehow seems to be elusive and/or hard to pin down. Diving into the world of dating in order TO find that special someone can become a tedious and frustrating affair, perhaps even more so when online apps are the new norm, placing us in not-always-so-genuine spaces and with people whom we can’t be sure are who they claim to be.
As such, we dive into the realms of digitally-based compatibility through the eyes of four 30-somethings–Amanda (Rachel Pfennigwerth), Michael (Dustin Andrews), Ashley (Emily Moore), and Matthew (Nicholas Zarzeczny)–who are all, rather involuntarily, thrown into the dating pool mix thanks to well-meaning(??) friends. With life circumstances just as varied as what they each ultimately wish to find in someone, can they actually discover the RIGHT new love through on-screen “swipes”?
Next, my Mind:
Rom-coms could very much be considered one of those “dime-a-dozen” genres, with every level of the film industry taking on the ever-common notion of two (or more) people finding their “forever” partner, though not before enduring a host of comedic escapades which often test their resolve. Due to this pervasive magnitude of efforts out there, it stands to reason that for every “Serendipity”, “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days”, or “Notting Hill”, there will also be a “Mr. Wrong”, “Maid In Manhattan”, or “Monster-In-Law” (sorry for that two-fer there, JLo!). But, this is expected that hits and misses are simply the way it is, for me more so in mainstream film. Therefore, when it came to this newest 92-minute indie rom-com feature from director Laura Irene Young and writer/executive producer Joe Fishel, as always I chose to go into it with level anticipation, as this critic IS a FAN of well-executed genre efforts in the aforementioned vein.
What I found myself thinking was that, while it carried a decidedly grounded, uncomplicated, and relatable air, the style of story one would envision, a solid cast, and equally, appropriately straightforward settings and visual presentation that ensures it is the characters we are focused on, there was a certain lack of EMOTIONAL resonance in both the drama and humor that prevented me from absolutely LOVING it. Again, this is a genre I totally treasure and do admittedly hold a relatively high standard for, but even in acknowledging indie film’s varying constraints and means here, I still didn’t “feel” the film like I wished I would have. That, for me, is a real sticking point, only in that you want to totally care about and root for the characters–their plights, their pitfalls, and their triumphs–while getting the chuckles and heartfelt moments you want. Yes, these elements WERE there, but not QUITE to the eminence I longed for.
The narrative which follows the ups and downs of the potentially (or perhaps ALWAYS) aggravating world of online dating apps and the awkward un-assuredness and hesitations those elicit in four 30-somethings seeking to navigate (ok…”swipe”) their way to love most definitively presents itself AS your typical example of the genre, which is something that even the the film’s brief synopsis on IMDb states….with a slightly enigmatic twist…..”with an a-typical rom-com ending”. THAT is a very honest statement and it does more than accurately befit how the film, its pacing, and general atmosphere are delivered. But, when we do arrive at the finale, the narrative does indeed take on a direction one might NOT actually see coming, and it at least lends a sense of originality to it all. There ARE plenty of little laughs along the way, especially seeing character archetypes: the career woman, the (seemingly) lazy man, the divorcé, and the “uneager” hottie.
Additional humor is found at the expense of those we consider our “well-meaning” friends who believe THEY are the ones that know what’s best for US and will take actions accordingly to “prove” it as well as some whimsically overbearing parents of one character whom just believe their own relationship is a helpful example of what love should be…via soup. Lots of soup. Likewise, there ARE charming/cute moments between characters, and the notion of learning about someone else over time, with patience, and showing authentic interest vs. a purely physical attachment gets explored as well. It’s all here. But once more I just wanted to still truly FEEL something for everyone involved amidst the wit and heart, and it just didn’t manifest for me. This is NOT a BAD film, folks. But I do have to say perhaps it could have been JUST a touch MORE.
Performances here, I felt, were excellent and embodied each manner of character the narrative required effectively and with due amount of energy for both dramatic and comedic timing. Pfennigwerth is a combination of focused seriousness and an initially veiled romantic soul as the statuesque, blond, highly driven, independent career woman Amanda, whose had to move back home to Pittsburgh from D.C. after her Congressman boss made some poor choices. Motivated to get back to work, Amanda doesn’t buy the whole dating app approach until her parents drive her nuts enough to finally pull the trigger. Will the man she ends up meeting surprise her and end up as “the one”? Zarzeczny, on the surface, confidently exudes what we believe is the complete and utter “coach potato slacker vibe” (until we’re proven otherwise?) through his role as Matthew, an underwear/T-shirt/robe-wearing scruffy guy who is more intelligent and successful than his appearance would show.
Will he possibly be a far better “catch” for someone than even his best friend might believe he is? Or is Matthew far more “shallow” in his ideas about relationships than someone might be willing to try and change…or make it through? Moore is an undeniable bundle of shy, bubbly cuteness and evident (yet almost timid) beauty just waiting to be let loose for the right person via her role as Ashley, a woman also at the “mercy” of a co-worker/friend who wants Ashley to get a man asap in spite of Ashley’s far more restrained ideas about it…MAYBE due to disastrous dates she’s been on?? (You decide!) Yet, once she does meet someone nice, will it be all she’s really wished for and something that can last if things must be more than only on a surface? Finally, Andrews oozes complete self-confidence and conspicuous drive to meet someone on the heels of a recent divorce through his role as Michael, a man hurt from the loss of his longtime love and now wanting to believe someone fresh, exciting, and engaging to actually grow with and learn about is out there.
Once he ends up with precisely what he desired, will it be forever, and can his down-to-earth charisma and wit be the answer she herself was searching for? Primary supporting roles arrive from Julia Silverman and Ron Lake as Amanda’s somewhat nutty but doting parents, Ethan Lyvers as Tyler, Matthew’s best friend who exemplified the whole “ball and chain” mentality, Angela Katherine Baker as Stephanie, Ashley’s highly forward co-worker who sets her up with an…appropriate??…dating app profile, Laura Irene Young as Jessica, Michael’s ex whom we see history about with brief flashbacks and current interactions. Other supporting appearances are made by Joe Fishel, Brian Ceponis, Jessica Buck, Michael Z. Atrata, Jeff Monahan, Christopher Kai, Reed Mack, Alex Blair, Ryan Beatrice, Nelia Rose Holley, Dawn Renee, John W. Iwanonkiw, Frank Perman, Brett Sullivan Santry, and Alyssa Herron among a HOST of others. To those mentioned AND to those not directly, you ALL are acknowledged and appreciated!
So, in total, “I Swiped The Wrong One” does defy the genre “standard” in that it at least provides a slight adjustment to what you expect the outcome to be while granting enough entertainment for you to sit back and have a smile throughout. It proves that, sometimes, when we THINK we’ve finally “got him (or her)”, things that appear to be working out may actually not, while things that shouldn’t, actually do. So…did YOU swipe right? Or wrong?
STAR RATING(out of 5):
