For a significant portion of the The Argument’s running time, there’s a sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop. The set up for the film isn’t particularly strong, and all throughout the first act, it’s hard not to feel like the production is going through the motion. It actually isn’t until the third act that things kick into gear, especially in terms of getting unique and weird. So, as the flick opens today, the question before me is the following: is one really good act enough to warrant a recommendation? It depends on the title in question, but for The Argument, the answer is a low-key yes. The movie is a comedy, focusing on a small group of people and the rather unusual situation they find themselves in. When Jack (Dan Fogler) and Lisa (Emma Bell) disagree in the opening scene, it seems like something that’s going to stick with the former, more so than the latter. However, when they get into another argument at a cocktail party they’ve thrown, with friends Brett (Danny Pudi) and Sarah (Maggie Q) in attendance, as well as Paul (Tyler James Williams) and Trina (Cleopatra Coleman), it escalates, ultimately bringing the gathering to a close. Determined to figure out who was right, Jack and Lisa come up with a unique solution. They invite everyone back to recreate the night. First it’s one time, but then it becomes night after night, until it becomes an obsession, one which resolves itself in a way you certainly will not see coming. Robert Schwartzman directs a screenplay by Zac Stanford, with cinematography by Michael Rizzi. Rounding out the cast are Karan Brar, Charlotte McKinney, Mark Ryder, Marielle Scott, and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. It takes a long while for this one to get going. For some, it’ll be too long. The running time is short, but the pacing isn’t especially good, something director Robert Schwartzman struggled a bit with in his debut Dreamland, but had seemingly gotten a better handle on in his follow up The Unicorn. Here, working off of Zac Stanford’s script, he eventually settles in and develops a rhythm, but some will have checked out by then. Such is the risk in an iffy first act. I will say, the third act is kind of brilliant, more than making up for the initial see-saw of it all. The Argument does feature some interesting performances, with […]