‘Splitsville’: An Entertaining, Surprisingly Screwball Comedy

An absurd and wickedly funny tale of marital woes, Splitsville is an anti-romantic comedy that feels charmingly old-school. Though its “take” on modern relationships is hard to pin down, the film more than makes up for it with witty comedy, great performances and a genuinely considered approach to its filmmaking that keeps it enjoyable throughout.

Everything comes crashing down for Carey (Kyle Marvin) when his wife of 13 months Ashley (Adria Arjona) reveals she’s been cheating on him, and that she wants a divorce. When he goes to his best friend Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) and his wife Julie (Dakota Johnson) with his situation, he finds the secret to their happiness is an open marriage. However, when Carey sleeps with Julie and tells Paul, both marriages erupt as this strange quartet grapples with their insecurities and desires.

Above all else, Splitsville is an extremely entertaining and funny movie. Stars and co-writers Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino have created a script that, while somewhat light on the thematic front, is genuinely witty in both its spoken and physical comedy.

The two of them are really funny as the bumbling teacher Carey and neurotic bigwig Paul, best friends who quickly turn sour once the line is crossed. There’s a comedic fight scene between the two early on that exemplifies the humour of Splitsville perfectly, as Covino (who also directs) balances interpersonal drama, slapstick fare and great jokes all into one sequence.

This is how Splitsville functions throughout, operating as a kind of screwball sex comedy where people’s feelings are put fully on display and regularly hurt. It’s not ‘realistic’ per se, but it is often outrageously funny thanks to an exceptional cast of characters and actors.

Adria Arjona and Dakota Johnson are particular standouts. It’s not the first movie Johnson’s been in this year with some kind of love triangle (or square, in this case), but this one is less meditative and more outright fun, allowing her to flex her natural charms. Arjona, too, is seen in a mode throughout the movie different from her previous work, blending humour and heart together with remarkable ease.

I’m not sure if Splitsville is really… about anything? It begins to broach a number of subjects surrounding modern relationships, and perhaps its most salient theme is that being an adult doesn’t always come with maturity. Nonetheless, its entertainment factor more than makes up for its shortcomings.

★★★★

Splitsville is in cinemas now.