Almost in Love

The actors manage to just sidestep the chummy, self-congratulatory air of showbiz insiders, leaving viewers the pleasure of savoring their invention. No glib answers are offered, but the search proves rewarding.

More than a gimmick, that self-conscious visual strategy suits the self-impressed creative-class characters, even as it is, finally, more interesting than they are.

The film spoils the charm of its concept in the way it confuses the wish to be a Woody Allen-Julie Delpy lovechild with a cramping formalism that borders the theatrical.

Almost in Love has audacity and theatrical immediacy working for it. There's also some really impressive sound design. And that's it, pretty much.