Romantic comedies come and they go. Literally. Most of the time a studio backed romantic comedy makes its way into your valuable movie watching time, it holds your attention while you’re watching it, and maybe just long enough to discuss with your date on the drive home (if even that long). There have been two romantic comedies in the past few years that have taken this genre and turned it on its head and made something memorable out of a dismissive genre; 500 DAYS OF SUMMER and now, Blayne Weaver’s 6 MONTH RULE. Filled with a cool soundtrack, relatable, and more importantly, likable characters, this is the anti-rom-com, rom-com. One filled with heart, and genuine heartbreak at the same time.
Tyler (Blayne Weaver) is a creature of habit who lives his life simply with a staunch set of rules when it comes to dating. The chief among them being “no woman is so perfect that you can’t get over her in 6 months”. He uses this rule swiftly in the beginning of the film as he breaks up with several women using the same lines, in the same bar. His day job as a restaurant menu item photographer is a far cry from the glory days of his career when he published a book many years ago. The same book that he often checks on in his local bookstore to see if anyone has purchased a copy of it. It’s on one faithful day (as those days often are) that he meets Sophie (Natalie Morales). Sophie isn’t typical of the women who are easy to form his simplistic rules around. She challenges him, she’s a little sassy, the “spooky synchronicity” they share is too much for him to ignore.
6 Month Rule has a few of the same formulaic principles, but they are done so well here. Tyler’s got a best friend Alan (Martin Starr) who’s got problems of his own. His longtime girlfriend has dumped him and Tyler sees this as the perfect opportunity to take him under his philandering wing, and he doesn’t want any part of it. Sophie has a wise friend/co-worker who always something ominous to say while always stealing the scene. This is done amazingly and hilariously by Kids in the Hall alum Dave Foley.
Blayne Weaver and Natalie Morales have wonderful chemistry and the spooky synchronicity seems incredibly genuine and effortless on their parts. Weaver wrote and directed this film and it isn’t his first, which is apparent because nothing about this film feels like it’s been done by someone who is new on the scene. The pacing is impeccable, and every aspect of it works on every level.
6 Month Rule isn’t your everyday romantic comedy. It doesn’t go out of it’s way to look for laughs, and it’s funny in the way observational stand up comedy is funny, because it’s genuine. It doesn’t even strike the same chords most rom-coms strive for and it’s all done without major star power in the cast. It’s more than a wonderful film that people should see, it’s a film people should see because it goes against the status quo and shows that this genre of filmmaking is capable of eliciting real feeling and emotion out of people.
Check out the trailer on iTunes Trailers.
