Splitsville: A Romantic-Comedy That Fails to Satisfy in Both Areas (Blu-ray)

The Film:

Time and time again, we've seen how filmmakers have struggled greatly to do anything new or interesting in the horror genre, but another genre that suffers just as much from this lack of originality is the romantic-comedy. It seems like 99% of the time we'll see the same tired formula over and over again, which has the audience ahead of the film every step of the way, leading right up to its easily predictable conclusion. Try as they might, they find it extremely difficult to break away from the same familiar beats, and yet, they keep trying in hopes of finding a way to use it effectively and deliver something that audiences haven't seen before. This brings us to Michael Angelo Covino's "Splitsville," which explores the lives of two couples whose relationships are thrown into chaos by a strange series of events. Will he and co-writer Kyle Marvin be able to pull off the rare feat of giving us a rom-com that isn't predictable from start to finish?

The film starts with married couple Ashley (Adria Arjona) and Carey (Kyle Marvin) on the way to their friends' beach house. After getting a little frisky on the highway and witnessing an accident, Ashley abruptly announces that she wants a divorce, causing Carey to panic and travel the rest of the way on foot. He arrives at the beach house of Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) and his wife Julie (Dakota Johnson), who tell him that they are in an open relationship, eventually leading to Carey and Julie sleeping together. Naturally, this upsets Paul when he finds out, causing a massive fight between him and Carey, with it coming to an end when Julie and their son Russ (Simon Webster) return. Carey finally goes back home and suggests to Ashley that they try the same kind of open relationship, an idea she hesitantly agrees to, but which soon causes a lot more upheaval in their lives than expected.

"Splitsville" is one of those movies where the writers let you know what level they're going to be working on from right near the beginning, at least on the comedic front. With scenes that include Ashley & Carey making out while the latter is trying to drive and then having Carey's privates hanging out while they try to assist at the scene of an accident, you immediately realize that the level of humor is not going to be particularly strong, and while most of it at least doesn't aim quite that low, it never really makes any attempt to aim all that high either, sadly making it a rather laugh-free outing, again at least as far as the comedy part of the genre goes.

So what about the romantic side of the equation? Well, we have a film that deals with open relationships among two couples and the disastrous results of attempting such a bizarre arrangement, which, as you probably don't have to be told, makes for a strangely unromantic outing. As far as the standard beats of the familiar formula go, they're here too, firmly represented in the way the writers try so hard to make you believe that one thing is going to happen, only to have it end in the most obvious way possible instead, a failed act of deception that only hurts its chances of building any romantic atmosphere even more.

Overall, what we get with "Splitsville" is a film that doesn't work very well on either of the fronts it's trying to operate on. For a comedy, it simply isn't funny, and for a romance, its focus & familiarity stifle any chance it has of setting the right mood. Covino & Marvin clearly thought they could wring out some laughs & love from their exploration of open relationships, but unfortunately what they've ultimately ended up with is a rom-com that falls flat in its attempts to deliver either one.

Video/Audio:

"Splitsville" comes to Blu-ray in a 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of fantastic quality, featuring an image that's clear & sharp throughout the film's entire 104-minute duration. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is outstanding, giving you all of the dialogue & music in excellent quality. Overall, NEON has done a marvelous job in both areas for the film's physical debut.

Special Features:

The Making of Splitsville (7 Minutes)

Conclusion:

Michael Angelo Covino's "Splitsville" is a rom-com that tries to wring some laughs & romance out of an exploration of two couple attempting open relationships, but which sadly falls flat in both areas with humor that never aims particularly high and a strange focus & familiarity that stifles its attempts at a romantic atmosphere, ultimately making for another entry in the genre that fails to satisfy.

Score: 2.5/5

Available on Blu-ray starting today.

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