Lightning-fast when compared to Tom’s married friends, Donald (Evan Arnold) and May (Jennifer LaFleur), who are ready to start a family, or at least Donald is. In a cinematic montage of contrasts, we discover that Rosemary and Tom are really into each other, like rabbits, and Donald and May are taking it easy trying to get pregnant.
Minoff’s script for Limerence, more or less, takes the idea of infatuation and blows it up into its little facets. The main story is about two people who appear perfect for one another but move way too fast, so intimacy and commitment conflict. The B-story of Donald and May shows the potential of that relationship further out as May’s future may not be in sync with Donald’s.
“…moments of self-discovery that may trigger old memories of your lost loves and missed opportunities of youth.”
I may be seeing things that aren’t there, but even minor characters touch on this theme and not necessarily in a romantic context. Leo confesses about a sexual encounter where “This is not my wife,” continually rolls through his head. Then add to that Leo’s teen crush on Rosemary that carries throughout the film. I also have thoughts about gallery owner Jack, but again, I might be overthinking this.
From the standpoint of the film, what’s so engaging about Limerence and Minoff’s story is how good the chemistry is between Rosemary and Tom. They are a couple you’d see in any romance. You want to root for their success, but to see the two lovebirds struggle because of how fast they moved and now need to walk their relationship back a few…a lot of steps… makes for compelling storytelling. Minoff’s script proves to be insightful in ways that play out like real life and doesn’t require unnecessarily long drawn out epiphanies from standard rom-coms.
Overall, Limerence is funny, romantic, and insightful. It’s a love story with moments of self-discovery that may trigger old memories of your lost loves and missed opportunities of youth. Tammy Minoff is perfect and charismatic on-screen as Rosemary and navigates the world of indie romances brilliantly as its writer, director, and star.
"…takes the idea of infatuation and blows it up into its little facets."
