From the filmmaker who crafted the gritty and inspiring documentary Murderball, comes a relationship drama that masquerades as a neo-noir. Monogamy dabbles in daring, but never quite manages the subversion of classic noir tales.
In his narrative debut, Dana Adam Shapiro serves as co-writer and director in this drama that centers on Theo (Chris Messina), a frustrated wedding photographer by day, and self-proclaimed spy by night. With his side business (cleverly titled Gumshoot), Theo stalks paying customers and snaps voyeuristic photos so they can see themselves as others do. The conflict arises when this soon-to-be wed photographer is contracted to play Peeping Tom to an exhibitionistic young woman. Sure, with his charming, guitar-playing fiancée (Rashida Jones), he laughs at the lunacy of a woman who pays to have her public indiscretions photographed, but in private he falls into a Hitchcockian obsession with this strange seductress he knows only as Subgirl. Soon his growing fascination with this mysterious blonde drives a wedge between him and his lady love, who is sidelined by a clumsily introduced injury that lands her in a hospital where a sweet young doctor shows more concern than her distracted husband-to-be. This all builds to a breaking point, where Theo must choose between a settled life of convention and monogamy, or the unpredictable and illicit experiences Subgirl represents.
A titillating twist on the cold-feet storyline, Monogamy is unquestionably clever in concept. And it’s refreshing to see Messina and Jones, who are often relegated to thankless supporting roles, given something meatier to master. However, despite these boons, Monogamy feels flat. The narrative is crudely paced; the action lurches from scenes of Theo’s mounting self-destructive fixation and moments of failing/flagging loyalty to his wounded lover. The whole thing awkwardly hurtles to its conclusion, which fails to be as shocking to the audience as it is to its protagonist. Nonetheless, it’s an intriguing drama in which Jones and Messina aptly craft a believable portrayal of intimacy. Ultimately, Monogamy is flawed, but it has me interested in seeing more from Shapiro, whatever the genre.
