Splitsville Review: Dakota Johnson's Star Turn Makes This Open Marriage Comedy Work
The creative team behind 'The Climb', a film about a man who sleeps with his friend's fiancée, returns with Splitsville, a comedy exploring a man who sleeps with his friend's wife. Directed by Michael Angelo Covino and co-written with Kyle Marvin, this follow-up feature delves into the turbulent dynamics of modern relationships with biting humour and emotional depth.
Dakota Johnson's Transformative Performance
With her playful squint, knowing smirk, and dialogue delivered as if each line holds a hundred secrets, Dakota Johnson possesses an almost supernatural ability to see through walls. In underwritten films, these traits lend her a subversive, campy air, but in Splitsville, she transforms into a human scalpel knife. Johnson expertly turns egotists into clowns, buffoons into adult children, and liars into whimpering, cornered prey. As the ultimate straight man in this chaotic scenario, her performance is pivotal; the film likely wouldn't work without her incisive presence.
The Plot: Emotional Dependence and Boundary Violations
Splitsville continues Covino and Marvin's exploration of emotionally co-dependent friendships where usual boundaries are obliterated, leading to violent consequences. When Ashley, played by Adriana Arjona, tells Carey, portrayed by Kyle Marvin, she wants a divorce, Carey seeks reassurance from his childhood friend Paul, played by Michael Angelo Covino. Paul and his wife Julie, embodied by Dakota Johnson, reveal their marriage's supposed secret: they have opened it up to other partners.
However, when Carey and Julie inevitably hook up, Paul's reaction is not placid acceptance but a full-blown, wrecking ball brawl that devastates half of their modern-luxe, lakeside home. The chaotic fight sequence, staged within wide-angle, minimally cluttered shots, resembles two drunks attempting to recreate a scene from John Wick, blending slapstick with cinematic verve.
Inspirations and Character Dynamics
In interviews, Covino and Marvin cite Italian comedies of the Seventies as inspiration, particularly Lina Wertmuller's The Seduction of Mimi and Pietro Germi's Divorce, Italian Style. This influence is evident in the film's rare blend of physical comedy, carefully sketched humanity, and visual flair. Johnson provides a crucial counterbalance to male hopelessness, such as a recurring bit where Carey drinks directly from the tap like a dog, avoiding the stale maternal scold stereotype.
While the men often appear absurd, the film also gives space to female characters. Ashley experiments sexually with Jackson, a bartender with one braincell played by Charlie Gillespie, and Matt, a fragile-egoed mentalist portrayed by Nicholas Braun. Adriana Arjona shines in funny sequences, such as reading prepared statements about her relationship to Carey, even quoting Malcolm Gladwell's "10,000-Hour Rule" with performative earnestness that is mortifying to watch.
Thematic Depth: Polyamory and Human Conflict
An argument could be made that Splitsville is noncommittal on polyamory, but this might be the point. Covino and Marvin are less interested in whether polyamory solves or destroys long-term relationships and more focused on the conflict between people's stated beliefs and innate desires. The film suggests that finding contentment often requires turning one's life upside down, shaking out all the contents, and picking back up only what truly feels right.
Yet, with Dakota Johnson at the helm, this process looks effortless. Her performance anchors the film, making the chaotic exploration of love and loyalty both hilarious and poignant. Splitsville is a sharp, well-crafted comedy that showcases Johnson's talent while delivering thoughtful commentary on modern relationships.
Director: Michael Angelo Covino. Starring: Dakota Johnson, Adriana Arjona, Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin. Cert 15, 104 minutes.
