By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Antonio Santini | Don Sickles
Starring: documentary
Country: united_states
Year: 2017
Running time: 103
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6333058/reference
Diane says: “Caught this Sundance winner doc at a small theater today. The central figure is a friend of director Dan Sickles’ (co-director is Antonio Santini; their first was MALA MALA). We land in the middle of the lives of 48-year-old Dina, and her sweetheart Scott, in the months between marriage proposal and honeymoon. In what I think of as Frederick Wiseman style, there are no explicatory titles or voiceovers to help us get to know who’s who or where we are.* So kudos for editing that shows us just enough in scenes shot with a static camera: on the bus to Ocean City, at a support group meeting, in bed….
“Dina and Scott face ordinary problems as the relationship moves along—problems that any couple could have, but made more challenging byScott’s Asperger’s and Dina’s also being on the spectrum. A mismatch in the desire for physical intimacy is faced head-on by these two people who have no reluctance talking about it onscreen—to their friends, family, and each other, not to the camera.
“One exception to the no-explication is an audio recording of an episode in Dina’s life from years before. Some reviewers found it inappropriate, but I thought it was key and worthwhile.
“With two sympathetic characters and a candid look at relationship problems without the drama of Dina’s beloved reality TV shows, I give this one 4 cats
“*I was a minute late, but I don’t think I missed anything out of synch wth the rest of the film.”