A newly sober man’s Christmas Eve dental emergency leads to an unexpected romance with his older dentist as they explore Baltimore together.
Chuck says:
As far as meet cutes are concerned, the one Cliff and Didi have is no better or worse than others that have been foisted on rom-com fans over the years. It’s Christmas Eve and the poor schmuck has cracked a tooth. Desperately seeking a dentist to help, he dials every number he can find until Didi picks up, the lonely middle-aged single agreeing to help him out. Then, one thing leads to another…
Sporting fine performances, Jay Duplass’ “The Baltimorons” tries to get by on its charm which is, regrettably, limited. While the incidents that make up the story are, at times, inspired, the film is ultimately brought low by the most basic mistake where this genre is concerned – there’s simply no way these two lonely hearts would ever end up together, try as Duplass might to convince us otherwise.
As Cliff and Didi, Michael Strassner and Liz Larsen are convincing, each focusing on the loneliness of their respective characters. A recovering alcoholic, Cliff is a guy who has the best of intentions but lacks the focus to be the guy his girlfriend Brittany (Olicia Luccardi) deserves. She’s stood by him after a botched suicide attempt and while he got himself clean, yet he still lacks purpose and direction, qualities she longs to provide.
No, he’s much more concerned with being reinstated to “The Baltimorons,” an improv group he was ousted from after going on stage drunk. Having alienated nearly everyone from the group, this is a longshot at best.
Didi’s loneliness is of a different sort. Though she’s been divorced for quite some time, the news that her ex has remarried, which she finds out after taking a call during Cliff’s treatment, hits her hard. Invited to an impromptu reception for the couple by her daughter, Didi is at a loss as to how to handle this news.
Finding out after the appointment that his car has been towed, Cliff accepts a ride from Didi to the tow yard to retrieve it. Of course, this is easier said than done and before you know it, the pair embark on an “After Hours”-like odyssey that takes them to a bar, a pop-up comedy club and the above-mentioned wedding reception, among other places.
All of this progresses organically, one stop logically leading to the next. Along the way we get to know Cliff and Didi and it’s to the two leads’ credit that they don’t overplay them, which would have been easy to do on Strassner’s part. The performances are restrained if, at times, the characters’ actions aren’t, helping ground the film.
Yet, all of this can’t overcome the mismatched nature of this couple. After their series of misadventures, what we’ve come to expect happens does. It’s a bit hard to swallow this professional woman having any interest in this sad sack. Yes, he is kind and considerate, yet that’s hardly enough justification to convince us she’d take a chance on him. After meeting her ex, it’s obvious Didi lacks sound judgement where choosing a partner is concerned, but to think she’d take a chance on this man-child that’s crossed her path is too much.
There are those who won’t object to this turn of events, and more power to them. But for me, ultimately “The Baltimorons” simply doesn’t stick the landing. Though Didi learns, after a brief turn on an improv stage, that she needs to pivot when the unexpected occurs, her taking a chance on Cliff is a misuse of her newfound awareness.
2 Stars
