Do Us Part (dir. Reed Arnold)
By: Adam Freed
So much of adult life is lived beneath the warm blanket of predictability. This is usually done by design, as most people find careers, partners, homes, and routines that align with one’s ultimate desire for comfort. As months turn into routine-laden years, it may even become challenging to remember a time when the idea of tomorrow wasn’t already a clearly painted picture. There are, without question, two defining moments in life in which the immediate future is little more than an amorphous blur, more of a continued question than any semblance of an answer. The first is the transition from the infinite freedoms of university life into the career-driven realities of adulthood. The second is the jagged demarcation of one’s wedding day. In the case of the latter, there is only before and after, with an infinite optimism that “til death do us part” is the entryway into a lifetime of bliss. Writer and director Reed Arnold patiently and playfully explores both of these pivotal moments in his humorous and heartfelt adult comedy Do Us Part.
The film is primarily set on the day of Ryan’s wedding, an event that is ultimately complicated when his college best friend Rose (Kelly Russo) appears uninvited to profess her love, and therefore spin Ryan (Travis Laughlin) into a complex alchemy of old feelings and current realities. Arnold’s film deftly vacillates between Ryan’s wedding day and nostalgic flashbacks to the origins of his unrequited love for Rose at the University of Virginia. Carrying the bulk of the comedic weight in Do Us Part is Reed Arnold, who sets aside his director’s hat in order to play Mark, Ryan’s former roommate and the final piece of the Ryan, Rose, Mark friendship triumvirate. Mark, ever the libertine when it comes to sexual conquest, is forced to run interference with Rose in an attempt to fulfill his duties as Ryan’s best man. Do Us Part is an easily digestible, well written piece of contemporary comedy that veils beneath its edgy sensibilities, a remarkably insightful and reflective look at the decisions that define one's path into adulthood.
The best comedies are those that allow humor to enliven a story without sidetracking it completely. This is certainly the case for Do Us Part, a laugh out loud comedy that never apologizes for wading into sentimental waters. Aiding Arnold in this pursuit is the dynamic performance of Kelly Russo (Man Eaters, I’m Dying Up Here), who as Rose is placed in the unwinnable position of being the “other woman” who shows up on the day of Ryan’s wedding. The layers of complexity to Rose’s fractured character are initially presented lightheartedly, but gain in dramatic momentum as the film progresses. Russo’s performance, and Rose’s character arc culminate in a wonderfully introspective moment of demonstrated grace and maturity in the film’s third act. Do Us Part requires its audience to possess the gift of hindsight in order for all of its intended intricacies to take hold. As a result, those who approach the film as a straight comedy may be left somewhat wanting. With enough miles down the road and perspective under one’s belt however, Reed Arnold’s Do Us Part is a cathartic comedic experience that delightfully embraces what once was, just as thoughtfully as what currently is.
Target Score 8/10 - Writer and director Reed Arnold has crafted a thoughtful adult comedy that balances the irreverence of college life with the gravity of contemporary decision making. Featuring three central characters facing individual crisis points, Do Us Part is a nostalgic look back at young love, as well as a meaningful consideration of the necessity of its maturation.
