Splendor

with Kathleeen Robertson, Kelly Macdonald, Johnathon Schaech, Matt Keeslar
Written and Directed by Gregg Araki
by Michael McCarthy

I’m in disbelief. Shock, even. I simply can’t believe this flick was written and directed by Gregg Araki. His previous two films, Nowhere and The Doom Generation, left me astonished by how awful they were. I suspected he was trying to be funny or ironic, but everything about them rang false. His metaphors weren’t metaphors, they were pointless exploitation and an exercise in self-indulgence. They were films made by an idiot who thought the best way to convince people he was brilliant was to revel in his every silly whim, running wild with senseless potty mouth and cheap gore.

I rented Splendor because, well, Araki is the sort of filmmaker you want to keep your eye on. Even if you don’t like his stuff, you’re left wondering if it could get any worse. You know the guy is going to disappoint you, but you’re compelled to see what he’s trying to pass off as art this week. And so I rented Splendor, fully expecting to hate it, figuring I’d at least get to see former 90210 vixen Kathleen Robertson in the buff, and it’d be an excuse to write a vicious review. As I said, I’m in shock – Kathleen kept her clothes on, and the film was actually chock full o’ witty dialogue, strong performances, and solid direction!

Kathleen is highly amusing, and even a bit touching, as Veronica, a professional young woman who hasn’t had a good shag in a year, much less a decent boyfriend. So when she’s out clubbing with her lesbian friend (brutally played by Trainspotting‘s lovely Kelly MacDonald) and meets two guys who strike her fancy, she gives them the digits. Actually, she gives one of them a bit more than digits – and on the bathroom floor, no less – but you get the point. Veronica dates both guys for a while, figuring one of them will disappoint her and then she’ll be able to decide who should be her boyfriend. But neither disappoints and she finds herself simultaneously falling in love with both. For what it’s worth, she’s honest with the guys, making each painfully aware that she’s dating someone else. Eventually, the two guys meet, and it’s all she can do to keep them from throwing punches. Later, they meet again, when one shows up at her apartment on the wrong day of the week, and the three find themselves in a kinky game of truth or dare. Next thing you know, the three are living together.

If you’ve seen Araki’s previous films, you might think Splendor is an all-out fuckfest. But it’s not. It’s actually a mostly light-hearted, good-natured comedy that does a fine job of exploring “poly” relationships. The guys, played wonderfully by Johnathon Schaech and Matt Keeslar, don’t actually have sex with each other, at least not that we’re told. Rather, it’s a story about two guys who have fallen in love with the same woman who are willing to share her, rather than forcing her to make a choice that would leave one or both of them lonely. When Veronica gets pregnant, she starts to think she might be better off with a different boyfriend. Complications ensue and the film pours on enough drama to show that there are plenty of downsides to a polyamourous relationship. Definitely one of the more interesting romantic comedies I’ve come across during the past 12 months.