What Happens Next (2011)

People are voting emotionally.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Wendy Malick, who plays Elise (and for some reason I can't see credited in the cast list above … maybe she didn't want her name associated with this movie??) was about the only central character in this film who was believable, although at times even she seemed to be overplaying her role.Paul is in his fifties and has no inkling that he's gay. Right. He's been a successful businessman who just sold his business and is a bit at a loss as to what he's going to do now that he's retired. He meets Andy, who is in his twenties, in the park. Andy strikes up a conversation with Paul. Paul acts like this is the first person he's ever met. He's unable to respond to even the simplest questions without long pauses. I mean does it really take 15 seconds for a successful businessman to come up with a response to, "ok if I sit here?" and other things normal people can react to without a thought? And the twenty year old Andy falls in love with the 55 year old Paul who can't seem to carry on the simplest conversation, seems to be really uptight & uncomfortable about anything gay, is nearly twice his age and Andy isn't even sure Paul is gay … right.The characters, their interactions, the dialogue and the inconsistencies in their behavior are all difficult to believe. What happens next or in this case what happens at the end of the movie, is a bit difficult to swallow as well.Some funny moments … the dogs are cute … but I spent most of the movie feeling uncomfortable about it all and, what I assume was supposed to be a happy ending didn't relieve this discomfort.

I live in Philly, so the lovely shots of Rittenhouse Square and the skyline were fun to see in a film. Unfortunately, they were among the few things really worthwhile in "What Happens Next." The plot and dialog are creaky, implausible, formulaic and -- as gay issues in a progressive urban setting go -- out-of-date by about 30 years.The cast is relatively game, considering the clunky lines and unlikely relationships, though most of them get only about one emotional note to play. Wendie Malick does her usual job of providing over-the-top antagonism in an otherwise low-key film. Production values are decent enough, though the cinematographer's choice of filters sometimes make characters look jaundiced. I wanted to like this more; but the screenplay needed some heavy revision before filming.

I think this movie may have originally been meant to be a play but it adapts well. I enjoyed it much more than most independent movies. I do not find anything cliché about it. There are several duos of characters present who are each coming to terms with what they know of particular relationships in their lives or what they think they know of those relationships. I think the acting ability in this is fair. There are several new faces to see but they each demonstrate a proficient ability. There are some very to scenes to put this in the quirky category which I like. I enjoyed this film.I think it is definitely worth a watch.

I gave this movie a 2 because at times Wendy Malick was watchable. The rest was painful at best. The dialogue is horrible and trite. The acting wasn't nearly good enough to save the dialogue. The characters were false and empty at best. They were either boring and made no sense or over the top and made no sense. All in all - OUCH! The premise was interesting, but there wasn't enough motivation to move the story along. I think the writer might have been trying for one of those quirky, independent, everyone is connected whether they know it or not movies - but if so it hasn't been achieved. The only saving grace of this movie was Wendy Malick. She is funny and fun to watch. Her portrayal of Elise is great. When she shares a scene with others (such as Chris Murrah, who plays Andy) her performance and what she brings to the role elevates the performances of the others.