People Places Things

This imperfect but compelling drama starts with a bang (Charlie's poorly timed exit) and then slows down, so viewers can really get to see how badly Will is dealing with his new life. He lives for his weekends with his adorable twin daughters (Gia and Aundrea Gadsby) and mopes through everything else, spending his free time pouring his angst into a not-at-all-veiled autobiographical graphic novel about the dissolution of a marriage. Will is stuck, and everyone around him can see it, thanks to Clement's hangdog face effortlessly conveying his quiet despair.

The turning point of PEOPLE PLACES THINGS comes when a student (Jessica Williams) invites Will home for dinner to meet her mother, a disastrous evening that at least helps Will realize that maybe he needs to move on with his life. Hall, as a literature professor who looks down on graphic novels, is appealing as a single mom who definitely knows what she doesn't need from a man and motivates Will to emerge from his shell. The weak point in the film is Charlie, who's less clear about what she does and doesn't want out of life, leaving the movie imbalanced and one-sided (not that all movies about dissolving marriages need to be even-handed, but she just feels sketched out instead of fully formed). The film begins in fits and starts, and the ending is a bit trite, too, but it's a fairly satisfying look at how real people relate to each other, or fail to do so, in a relationship.