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Max Nichols
September 26, 2014
Megan (Analeigh Tipton) is in a slump. She can’t seem to get over a recent breakup with her high school sweetheart that she followed into pre-med. Crushed and left with a fancy degree that she has no intention of utilizing, we find her creating an online dating profile that her roommate pressured her into making. Looking for a one-night stand, Megan finds an eager sex partner Alec (Miles Teller). The following morning, the two find themselves in an awkward and heated interaction that leaves Megan storming out of the room. But the weather has other plans, and Megan finds herself stranded in Alec’s apartment while a roaring blizzard covers the city. Slowly they try to work around the awkwardness and speak freely about each other attempting to fix each other’s flaws, a situation that would have never taken place in a normal one-night stand routine.
Miles Teller is charming from start to finish. Quickly ascending to the title of 20-something generation’s rom-com king. As Alec, he provides moments of sincere care, warmth, comedy, snarkiness, and annoyance. He also finds the right balance and beats for everyone. The way that Teller always keeps us interested and always gives his characters that extra something—that tiny twinkle—makes us want to find out what else he has up his sleeve. And just when you think you’ve seen everything there is to see of Alec, Teller surprises you with a little extra.
Analeigh Tipton is a budding actor, much like Teller. While she does know her way around comedy, she also conveys a fragility in her characters, who are always played with a false sense of assurance. Now as Megan, a lost young adult on the looks for a rebound, she does confident pouty like nobody’s business.
As the characters learn more about one another, so does the audience. The use of a level playing field between the characters on screen and the audience as a storytelling device always raises the stakes and gets rid of any potential for misunderstandings or unspoken plot details. It usually results in a richer movie-going experience because we all go along at the same pace. Smartly written dialogue feels contemporary and relevant for the characters’ demographic while yet feeling natural and spontaneous. It’s not easy for two young actors to mesh but still give off a resilient vibe, but they do and the result is nothing short of awkward.
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