'Peter and Vandy' review

Jess Weixler and Jason Ritter (Credit: Strand)

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The romance between young New York City couple Peter (Jason Ritter) and Vandy (Jess Weixler) unfolds out of chronological order—mixing courtship with break-up, fed-up arguments with the decision to move in together.

The buzz: New York playwright Jay DiPietro makes his feature film debut with this adaptation of his play of the same title. On stage, the production earned a Drama Desk award nomination for best play.

The verdict: DiPietro’s simple story flirts with indie-filmmaking-by-the-numbers but still manages a refreshingly clear-eyed look at relationships. It’s closer (if not quite close enough) to “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” than to any number of dreary Hollywood factory rom-coms. The non-linear approach relies on both subtle and obvious visual clues to keep the audience properly oriented, and enhances the narrative without the self-conscious raison d’etre gimmickry of Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience.” DiPietro’s dialogue is sharp and Ritter and Weixler credibly flesh out characters who aren’t always likeable, they’re just two regular people trying their best at love.

Did you know? The indie music-meets-indie film influence of “Garden State” lives on. The soundtrack for “Peter and Vandy” compiles a who’s-who of hip musical artists: The National, Animal Collective, Patrick Wolf, Frightened Rabbit, Menomena and Les Savy Fav.

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