"Manhattan Romance": Movie Review

Recently I was scrolling through apple movies and stumbled upon the “Romantic Comedy” section. While I was looking at all the titles, one movie in particularly drew my attention. “Manhattan Romance” is a 2015 rom-com film, written and directed by Tom O’Brien.

Danny (Tom O’Brien) goes from woman to woman trying to complete an independent film, a study on relationships while trying to figure out his own love life. This movie takes place in modern-day Manhattan, where Danny experiences many different types of relationships. Even some that scare him away!

Tom O’Brien did a really good job writing and directing this. He also did an amazing job acting in his own film. I don’t think he could have cast anyone else for some of the other main roles. One of the women Danny was in an “open” relationship with was, Theresa (Caitlin Fitzgerald) who did an outstanding job in the role of a very spiritual person who believes she can love more than one person at a time and doesn’t believe in the completely normal emotion of jealousy. When Danny, who has been trying to get into Theresa’s pants during the duration of their relationship and Theresa says that she isn’t into “that kind of love”, walks in on her with her dance instructor while they are having a very intimate meditation session, he gets jealous and she explains that he needs to empty his mind of that ferocious emotion, and proceeds to give him a hug to change his vibe. Some of the things people can come out and say, can kind of throw me for a loop. You mean to tell me, even after you get married, you aren’t interested in having more than just an intimate meditation session?


In the film, it really shows many perspectives of a normal life, just with a couple surprises. From the guy who is sitting at a desk editing movies for a living
-to- a guy who is there for his friend when she needs him the most. The movie did contain a bit of paraphernalia, which shocked me because these people completely had their lives together and then sat on the couch to smoke a bowl (not saying that you are a life failure if you smoke pot because I definitely disagree). It was just shocking when Danny fished out a gram of weed from a vase on the bookshelf, which I thought may have been his grandmother’s ashes. Something that I didn’t like, and you will always catch me saying this, I didn’t like the love theme of this movie. It was so cliché. A breakup, the 7 stages of grief and then they move on to the next person or make the decision so stay with the who broke their heart.

I think this movie is more for an older audience, people who would understand the struggle of finding love and or their sexuality. Overall, I wasn’t impressed by this film. It could have had more to do with his project and less about Danny’s life outside work and his relationships. Although, it does explore new age ideas and relationships as well as friendships and connections between other people.