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It\u2019s an endless argument, one that often starts with the dirty dishes soaking in the sink. But it\u2019s about so much more\u2014a symptom. And when Anna and Ben put their disputes to music, their relationship reaches a breaking point.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s an endless argument, one that often starts with the dirty dishes soaking in the sink. But it\u2019s about so much more\u2014a symptom. And when Anna and Ben put their disputes to music, their relationship reaches a breaking point.<\/p>\n
Some films just get under my skin, making me feel all itchy and downright uncomfortable. Anyone who\u2019s been married or in a long term relationship knows full well that there are times when you just can\u2019t stand the person you\u2019re with. I\u2019d go so far as to say you abhor, at times, your significant other. Inevitably, this leads either to silence or endless argument. But can this angst be channeled into something artful? Could it even be funny?<\/p>\n
In \u201cBand Aid,\u201d writer\/director\/star Zoe Lister-Jones has a good handle on the rhythms that gird a flagging relationship. And this means her cathartic, comedic Sundance hit will also hit very close to home. One scene in particular painfully captures a moment when two people are broken beyond repair. But living with that brokenness is what it means to be in a relationship.<\/p>\n
A dark romantic comedy set to song, this biting look at young marital strife is the brainchild of comedian Lister-Jones. \u201cBand Aid\u201d starts out funny and light but quickly gets heavy and important as Anna (Lister-Jones) and Ben (\u201cThe Mindy Project\u2019s\u201d Adam Pally) try to repair their damaged marriage by starting a band. They are reeling from miscarriage, but other issues plague them daily. By writing and performing songs that start as martial quarrels, we get an often frustrating combination of drama and comedy.<\/p>\n
Anna and Ben\u2019s quarrels are tedious, as they focus on the small things that drive them bonkers. Thus, we get a song about dirty dishes in the sink and other mundane struggles. It is real and certainly connective.<\/p>\n
Other bits of comedy are less emotionally impactful but none-the-less funny. In \u201cBand Aid,\u201d SNL alum Fred Armisen channels the type of odd, pinched character that he\u2019s had luck with on \u201cPortlandia\u201d by playing Ben and Anna\u2019s wacky next door neighbor who joins the band as the drummer. The unusual voice of reason, Armisen feels very much lifted from another film, as he plays a sex addict, who seems remarkably well-adjusted. Every scene he\u2019s in is funny, which is a testament to Armisen\u2019s magnetic weirdness, but it distracts from the central relationship.<\/p>\n
What is very clear is that Lister-Jones is a triple threat. By writing, directing and starring here, the success of this project ultimately rises or falls at her feet. And to be sure, \u201cBand Aid\u201d is a success. This is a film that is perfect for indie film lovers who are fans of movies like \u201cObvious Child.\u201d And like Jenny Slate, who became a star playing the tortured Donna Stern in \u201cChild,\u201d Lister-Jones should be given another chance to stretch her sardonic comedy muscles after \u201cBand Aid.\u201d<\/p>\n
While it got under my skin and grated on my last frayed relationship nerve, \u201cBand Aid\u201d offers viewers a way to laugh at a failing marriage while also gnashing your teeth in frustration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Marital Angst to Music<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","no-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4544"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4549,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4544\/revisions\/4549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}