Vijayshri

Watched this bizarre movie yesterday and am lamenting the lost time. A concept like this has much scope but the shabby execution derails the movie even before it finds it's footing. The 2 main characters Vic and Melinda are in a twisted marriage. How the two met, why they continue in the marriage, what power Melinda has over Vic are questions that are never answered. Vic is handsome and super rich but dull and boring by Melinda's standards. Here's the thing - Vic makes the big bucks, pays for everything, drives his family around, cooks, makes coffee, juice, does the dishes, gives loving massages and almost single handedly seems to care for his child. Melinda on the other hand smokes, drinks, sleeps around, has night outs, parties, swears and hits Vic when she's upset. She constantly provokes him by openly flirting with other men and is seen being dismissive of him, which includes his cooking (lobster bisque anyone?). If the genders were reversed, we would be screaming 'toxic masculinity'! The Melinda character (reminded me of Mila Kunis from The 70's Show, loud and bratty) is extremely uni- dimensional. She doesn't seem to have a job, no hobbies, does no housekeeping and almost no parenting. Even cheating characters are usually shown to have some sense of responsibility or layered motivation. She often comes home drunk and is lovingly tended to by Vic. Initially it seems like Vic doesn't care what she does, but its clear later in the movie that the guy has zero self respect. Vic played by Ben Affleck looks bored as always. BA has a total of 3 expressions that gets him by in Hollywood. Melinda played by Ana de Armas does a good job, making us dislike her for how she treats her husband. She tries hard to bring this dud movie to life but is let down by a terrible script. Another strange aspect is this dysfunctional couple somehow has normal, if annoying friends. It’s hard to believe anyone would willingly spend time with Melinda, who stands out like a sore thumb in every social setting. The movie picks up in the last 40 minutes or so, but the climax is ludicrous. The cycle chase is bizarre. As also Vic presenting Melinda with a book of photos he took of her when she wasn't aware of being photographed. Yes, because nothing spells love like creepiness. So crazy Joe Davola presents Melinda with the photo collection and she falls in love with him. WHAAT!? Both the leads are hard to empathise with. You're supposed to feel bad for Vic but you don't. You're supposed to find Melinda compelling but she's just exhausting. The whole film feels like a missed opportunity.