Movie Review: Ira and Abby
By Michael Phillips, Tribune movie critic
So far, 2007 has brought us the Four Horsemen of the Romantic Comedy Apocalypse, a thundering herd including "Because I Said So," "License to Wed," "Good Luck Chuck" and "The Heartbreak Kid." But wait! On the inside rail here comes a low-budget indie written by and starring Jennifer Westfeldt called "Ira & Abby." And it is a deft and rather wise little number, set in Manhattan. It's shticky and hoked-up in places, and you have to buy a far-fetched premise (He and She meet and in a few hours decide to marry), which feels more like blackout sketch territory than a feature film. But "Ira & Abby" has plenty of sharp details, mostly verbal, and it gives old pros and newer faces a chance to show off their poker-faced comic wiles.
The title couple is made up of two equally messy halves. Chris Messina wisely does not bend over backwards to ingratiate himself to the audience; Westfeldt, playing a variation on a "Barefoot in the Park"-type free spirit, is all about ingratiation, but appeals nonetheless. Abby's parents, seemingly the happiest people on Earth, are played by Fred Willard and Frances Conroy. Ira's folks-dour, pile-driving psychoanalysts who have tormented their son since birth-are played by Judith Light and Robert Klein. They're all good company.
There's an unexpected bonus in Westfeldt's script: When the father of the bride embarks on an affair with the mother of the groom, it's played for more than just laughs. (Willard seems pleased with the chance to try a more serious brand of comedy.) The film may be slight, but it is not stupid, and director Robert Cary keeps both stickiness and shtickiness at bay.
"Ira & Abby"
Directed by Robert Cary; screenplay by Jennifer Westfeldt; photographed by Harlan Bosmajian; edited by Phillip J. Bartell; music by Marcelo Zarvos; production design by Ray Kluga; produced by Brad Zions. A Magnolia Pictures release; opens Friday at Landmark Century Centre Cinema and Landmark Renaissance Place Cinema in Highland Park. Running time: 1:41. MPAA rating: R (language and some sexual content).
Abby - Jennifer Westfeldt
Ira - Chris Messina
Lynne - Frances Conroy
Arlene - Judith Light
Seymour - Robert Klein
Michael - Fred Willard
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