Between Us (2012)

Good movie but grossly overrated

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

I read the reviews for Between US before I watched the movie. The reviews were the extremes. All good or all bad. Well I lean to the all bad end of the scale.There was a severe lack of material for this movie so the director tried to stretch 10 minutes of real material to fill a 90 minute movie. There is a blowout argument between people who were friends\coexistors from college where they air things they think about each other. The depth of the conversations was amazing considering they were not life long friends. They were just college friends\coexistors. But they get really personal with their attacks on each other.I also had a hard time believing the couples were really couples. The couples savage each other as well. What?The distracting back and forth changes in time were very confusing. They show our characters sad then happy then sad again without showing us why we needed to know that? OK. Things were bad at one time then good at others in their lives. We all know that.This movie is a 100% pass.

Incredibly hard to make a play feel like a movie but Dan Mirvish has succeeded and then some. Stellar cast who bring it, stylish, and an outstanding Behind The Scenes extra that tells it like it is.The film is shot beautifully by Nancy Schreiber (one of my favorite DPs), edited in a really interesting, non-linear fashion and is a showcase for Taye Diggs, Julia Styles and David Harbour. And while Melissa George has the sort of thankless role, she comes through when it's her moment to shine at the climax.In the end, all of it comes together under the skillful direction of Mirvish.

Let's be clear: This is not an easy movie to watch. Like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or (more recently) Carnage, Between Us almost seems to revel in exposing the nastier side of human nature. We're given a ringside seat at an emotional slugfest as a pair of (nominally friendly) couples eviscerate themselves and each other at a series of ill-advised dinner parties. Once the wine starts to loosen tongues and inhibitions, verbal sparring quickly escalates into full-on psychological warfare -- the 'take no prisoners' kind. And trust me: There's more genuine violence in this movie than the entire third act of Man of Steel -- it's just that here the characters are clobbered with words, not skyscrapers.In short: If you like Who's Afraid...? and Carnage, then Between Us is a must-see.

Art is best when it captures a human emotion and puts it on display for a viewer to see what they have felt inside represented by a performer. For it is through the performer that the viewer may see themselves in a way they have never seen before, as the actor exhibits raw human feeling; that palpable yet indescribable feeling that sets humans apart from other life forms.Between Us exposes the unvarnished dualism of love and contempt; the comfort, warmth and acceptance of a committed love relationship and the inimical pain of rejection, contempt and disdain of a disaffected partner. The underlying plot of the film is subservient to the performances delivered by an extraordinary cast; indeed, the plot is merely a platform for the cast to display attacks on another and the deep wounds manifested by the assault.Skillfully directed by Dan Mirvish this is a must see film. Each performer is provided the latitude to dig deep inside and deliver an honest, albeit, uncomfortable exhibition of aggression and pain experienced by the target of the attack; at points attractive and ugly; and compassionate and selfish.Some may view this film as a story about role reversals sprinkled with bits of humor. But for those who have experienced betrayal, disrespect by a loved one, contempt and disdain, this film is so much more than an interested dark comedy; it is an opportunity to see yourself.