The Drama is three types of movies rolled into one. First, it’s an anti-date movie. I’m here to disabuse all readers of the notion that this is any kind of lighthearted romantic comedy, despite the posters of Zendaya and Robert Pattinson dressed for their characters’ wedding day. Second, it’s a movie which is very difficult to discuss without spoiling it, and so I will try my absolute best in this review to avoid the major plot point around which the story hinges. Finally, The Drama is one of those films which will spark conversations far more interesting than the film itself.
Don’t get me wrong — The Drama isn’t a disaster by any means, it’s just nowhere near as complex or meaningful as it wants to be in and of itself. Charlie (Pattinson) essentially has a mental breakdown after learning something quite shocking about the love of his life and bride-to-be, Emma (Zendaya). Like writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s previous (and much better) film, Dream Scenario, the premise is a solid jumping-off point for explorations of the human psyche. The problem is that The Drama gives itself so very few targets to jump to. Because we see so little of the couple outside of this week from hell leading up to their wedding, we really don’t get to know them as people or as a couple apart from how they deal with Emma’s revelation early in the film. There are flashbacks and fantasy sequences which help fill in some essential gaps, but the film ultimately boils down to a what-would-you-do scenario without doing so much itself.
We also spend so much time with Charlie at Emma’s expense — especially in the final third of the film — that the film’s emotional pacing really suffers. On top of that, it leads to more questions about Charlie than questions or answers about Emma. Charlie is the head curator at a prestigious art museum, but because we only see him at his most flustered throughout this film, we wonder at how he could have ever worked his way up to that job. Also, Borgli makes a mistake I feel is all too common with many screenwriters and directors these days: he takes a film with about five or six really interesting thematic elements and boils it down to one character losing their mind. Many filmmakers have a fascination with social and personal unraveling, and there’s nothing wrong with depicting that in my opinion. However, when it comes at the expense of potentially much more interesting material, I feel it gets dangerously close to cop-out territory.
Again, I want to stress that this film isn’t a disaster, it’s just a mixed bag. Despite my many qualms with it, the performances and the cringe comedy of the situation make it worth a mild recommendation. Be advised, however: The Drama goes to some very, very dark places and does so with a lightness of touch which might offend some viewers. The interesting thing here, though, is that that offense might just end up as part of a fascinating conversation after the fact. Your mileage may vary on your assessment of the film’s quality, but any group or couple seeing this together will get plenty of mileage from a post-film discussion. I’d definitely caution against seeing it if you’re in a rocky relationship you’d like to save, though. | George Napper
