REVIEW: Person to Person

Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

In this quirky independent film, writer-director Dustin Guy Defna tells a series of stories that are mostly unconnected and mostly mundane, but filled with the ordinary drama of a single day in New York City. The cast has a handful of recognizable faces, but Person to Person mostly hearkens back to the ensemble-heavy, slightly experimental and rough around the edges flicks of the 1970s and ’80s.

As such, it probably isn’t for everyone, but I enjoyed getting to know the characters a bit and watching the minor mysteries unfold as the pieces slowly click together. While none of the stories seem superfluous, there are clearly sections work better than others. Interestingly, the best ones featuring largely unknown actors.

The best involves a friendly, no-nonsense record collector (the terrific Bene Coopersmith) who gets a tip about a rare Charlie Parker album that leads to a lackadaisical con artist, a funny bicycle chase and – oddly enough – chats with strangers about whether the shirt he’s wearing works for him.

Another bizarrely intriguing story involves the record collector’s despondent roommate (George Sample III), who deeply regrets a cruel decision he made to humiliate his girlfriend (Marsha Stephanie Blake) in the heat of a fight. The actor is particularly compelling as he accepts the punishment he knows he deserves – creatively dished out by his ex’s brother (a fantastic Okieriete Onaodowan).

Not every story is a winner. Michael Cera plays a creepy newspaper editor who spends the day hitting on his shy new reporter (Abbi Jacobson) as they investigate whether a wealthy socialite’s husband was murdered or committed suicide. In another, two high school girls (Tavi Gevinson and Olivia Luccardi) bicker about the boy who threatens to come between them, but their heightened, Kevin Smith-esque dialogue constantly pulled me out of the movie instead of making the story feel more realistic. Plus, that one has a weirdly vague conclusion that left me scratching my head.

Still, the strength of the other stories and performances are enough to overcome the occasional weak spots. Plus, at a brisk 84 minutes, Person to Person doesn’t overstay its welcome. I can’t say I loved it, but I’m eager to see more of Defna’s work – especially if he reteams with Coopersmith or Sample.

Person to Person is not rated, but contains some language and adult content. Now playing at Midtown Art in Atlanta and available On Demand.

Grade: B-