It’s coming to the point of the year where it’s difficult to see past December releases as awards chatter swells. However, this movie is worth keeping an eye on.
First premiering at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, “Permission,” starring Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens is an unconventional romantic comedy where the focus stems from the pressure of finding “the one.” More clever than it has any right to be, Brian Crano‘s picture is a lovely depiction of a couple who have grown complacent, if still loving, in their relationship, and who have to wonder if there’s anything else they’ve missed in the years they’ve been together. Hall in particular is wonderful, with a supporting cast from bigger names such as Gina Gershon turning in a surprising comedic turn to lesser known David Joseph Craig providing the heart of the film.
The film demonstrates a readiness to both embrace the romantic comedy genre while also dismantling certain key pieces of it to make it more modern. We called it a “delightfully entertaining film, embracing the talented cast and their chemistry in a film that commits to the genre cocktail of drama, romance and broad comedy.” Here’s the official synopsis:
Anna (Rebecca Hall) and Will (Dan Stevens), were each other’s first every-things: first kiss, first love, first and only relationship. Now, 10 years in, at Anna’s 30th birthday party, as Will is about to propose, the couple’s best friend makes a drunken toast, suggesting that they should sleep around before their inevitable marriage. The joke lands like a lead balloon, but the thought lingers until Anna proposes that they try opening their relationship – as a sexual experiment. Together, they venture out of the purely monogamous boundaries of their relationship and, along the way, evolve.
Also featuring Francois Arnaud, David Joseph Craig, Morgan Spector, and Jason Sudeikis, “Permission” will hit theaters on February 9, 2018.