Ira & Abby

So after constant recommendations from Netflix that I would like this movie, I finally sat down and watched it. I'd been hearing all this talk about Jennifer Westfeldt and the upcoming Friends with Kids movie so I thought I'd give it a shot. The movie itself is an independent romantic comedy from 2006 written by Westfeldt, who also stars in it.

The plot centers around two thirty-somethings who decide to get married on the same day that they meet each other. One week later, they are married and have to deal with Ira's ex-girlfriend of 9 years, his therapist parents, Abby's ex-husbands, and an array of other tensions on their new marriage.

The plot was in the same style as Kissing Jessica Stein, but with more action and subplots. The dialogue was fantastic and the characters unique. There seems to be a sense of whimsy and optimism in her writing and it shows in this movie as well. I really enjoyed the different dynamics between the characters in this movie especially. It also has a great outlook on the modern notion of marriage. The character of Abby was a really great character you just couldn't help but love. Things work out a very coincidentally, as in most movies, but even so the realism isn't lost throughout most of the movie. Most of the character's actions are understandable, with a few exceptions. Overall, it was very nicely written.

The editing kept the movie going at a fairly fast pace throughout most of the movie with very few lulls. The colors, framing, and soundtrack kept everything very bright and fresh. Most of the characters got their fair share of screen time in the movie. If I remember correctly there was not one, but two, Rilo Kiley songs which, of course, makes me very happy. All of the editing, framing, scoring, sound mixing, etc kept everything upbeat and positive in the movie.

Ira & Abby (Jessica Westfeldt & Chris Messina) made the movie. They were a delight to watch on screen. Westfeldt was incredibly likable in her role. Messina, even though his character was incredibly neurotic, was almost as likable as Westfeldt and he made it very easy to empathize with his character. Judith Light and Robert Klein, who play Ira's parents, also were so very delightful to watch. They played off each other so perfectly and just added to the overall uniqueness of the movie. As seems to be a trademark, look for a cameo from Westfeldt's own husband Jon Hamm.

Overall, this was a fun movie to watch. I'd recommend to anyone else who enjoys a matter-of-fact view of modern day marriage and doesn't get lost in the superficiality of the whole institution. While highly improbable, the movie felt grounded in reality and played on a lot of antiquated notions in our society. "I can't believe you won therapy".