Private Lives

Private Lives ★★★½

A recently divorced couple with a rather dysfunctional relationship find themselves In adjacent hotel rooms in the South of France—each on a honeymoon with a new spouse. Very bad behavior ensues.

It’s something you don’t see every day: a rom-com full of irony and black humor. We’re treated to lots of adorable canoodling between Shearer and Montgomery, but all the while they’re married to two other people (who they’ve unceremoniously ditched). Eventually jealousy and irritation get the better of the two possibly bipolar lovebirds, and things devolve into an unseemly fracas.

It’s all very edgy and unusual, and Shearer and Montgomery are both funny as the ga-ga exes in a love-hate relationship. The sharp and comically prim dialogue delighted me as well. I also really enjoyed all the Alpine nonsense; my inner central European was thrilling at the sight of craggy bergs and Tyrolean hats. The only problem with it is that there is lots of toxic bickering, and, as cute and sexy as they are, you kinda want the two to just get the hell away from each other. Also, some viewers might be put off by the hitting—it’s all slapstick, but, you know.

It’s still less problematic than Smarty, though.

Block or Report

Joe liked these reviews