Parents' Guide to Untogether

This isn't the worst pseudo-pithy romantic dramedy about disaffected young people you'll see, but it's definitely not the best. On one hand, writer-director Emma Forrest, a pop culture journalist and author, should be applauded for not worrying about making her characters "likable" in Untogether. On the other, she took that pretty far. Apart from looks and one character's plot-central daddy issues, it's a mystery why any of these folks are entangled. People are often selfish by nature, but these folks are characteristically cold and narcissistic. The exceptions are Martin and David, the two older male characters who are caught in the younger ones' slipstream. Crystal's steady presence is particularly welcome as David.

In Untogether, people form attachments without strong feelings for each other. There's a detachment to the whole exercise. Only Martin's confusion and heartbreak and David's concern register. The movie has a secondary theme of fiction vs. nonfiction and what makes someone a real writer, but, as with the romances, the film's observations on this topic aren't new or profound, either. Ultimately, there isn't enough charm to go around in Untogether.