FILM REVIEW: "SPLITSVILLE" IS A SHARP, SEXY, SCREWBALL ROMCOM

All is fair in love and war - this, perhaps, is why love is blind: hearts are oft’ aflame like the Roman fleets along the waters of Syracuse; hearstrings snap, like the strings of the bows at the battle of Agincourt; people are love-bombed, like the falling thunder from the skies above Cardiff - if love is as fair as we regale, why do we believe we could ever walk away in one piece?

When his wife asks for a divorce, Carey looks to his friends for the secret to a happy marriage, only to learn their relationship is open. Soon, the line between friends, foes and lovers blur with disastrous consequences.

Like a flock of lovebirds falling from the sky, Splitsville is a comedy-romance that relishes in watching its relationships nosedive. Writers/stars Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin weave a tale of sex, scandals, and insecurities run rampant. Bold, raunchy and oftentimes hilarious, Splitsville - and its stars - have nothing to hide and a willingness to put every inch of themselves on the line!

Showing just how sharp Cupid’s arrow can be, Splitsville wastes no time utilising magic tricks, fist fights, and the music of The Fray to signify love on the rocks. At the centre of the romantic whirlpool is Dakota Johnson’s, Julie. Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, Materialists), a figurehead in the romantic genre, plays the role with the grace and nuance of a professional love interest; erstwhile, Adria Ajorna rollicks a free spirited divorcee, doing and dumping a cabal of curious lovers.

All the ugliness of fallouts and fist fights is captured beautifully by Adam Newporr-Berra’s eager eye. Splitsville is elegantly framed, cleverly set and pleasant to watch - even when it’s characters actions are not. Director/star Michael Angelo Corvin delivers assured direction, clever laughs, and gifts us with the greatest fight scene in all of cinema history: a hilarious, multi-storey brawl that involves destroying every inch of the set.

Though it’s jokes are sometimes spaced too far apart, and the runtime extends a few moments beyond ideal, Splitsville remains a smart, funny, and welcome return to the romantic comedy genre.

See it with your significant other, be prepared to leave with someone else.

3.5 / 5