The romantic comedy genre gets some fun tweaking in this offering from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mariana and Martin are a perfect couple waiting to happen but literally keep missing each other. He’s a web designer and hermit who is addicted to his computer for almost everything. Her computer addiction isn’t as bad, but she is also a neurotic hermit. Mariana sets up mannequins in shop windows for a living. She has a fascination with Where’s Waldo books. At one point she deletes her ex-boyfriend in a picture and puts Waldo in instead. The only personal interactions they have are unfulfilled dates, some of which are quite funny.
Mariana has a fear of elevators. The plan of one date was to go to a restaurant on the twentieth floor of a building. So they climb the stairs with the guy talking the whole time until he has to quit half-way up. He finishes with the elevator and by the time she arrives they find they have nothing to talk about. Martin has a date with a woman who deliberately speaks in foreign languages for half the time. This is after reading what looks like a most promising online personal ad.
Both have a passion for architecture. She talks about how the history of one building inspires what to name her daughter if she ever has a child. He talks about how the non-design of the city, with clashing buildings next to each other, resembles how people interact in the city and how it represents the clutter of his life. The movie is filled with such good dialogue often delivered in voice over. Another example of paraphrased dialogue: She was in a four year relationship. She’s flipping through pictures on her computer. Each year has fewer pictures than the one before it. With one click she deletes them all and ponders if only she could delete the relationship and other junk from her brain so easily.
It does become a bit tedious near the end; some ideas are repeated several times. But both characters are so likable that I was onboard for the whole ride at that point. This is a perfect date movie that both sexes can find entertaining.
