There is a sequence at the start of “Splitsville”, at first in the competition in Cannes, which makes you understand why the team of Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin wanted to make this film. The writers and actors especially known for their independent tube “The Climb” returned with a more flashy cast for this new company, but perhaps they did not seek bigger profile projects with glamorous cinema stars. Maybe they just wanted to fight for a pulp.
Results is one of the funniest combat scenes in recent memory. It begins with the slaps and then turns into a fight, followed by an increase in the levels of destruction while the two waste in a magnificent Hamptons house, breaking the tables and denigrating the walls. Covino, who is also director, and Marvin let their bodies turn away for maximum hilarity, and each new phase of their fight includes another surprising and clever micro-set piece. (Think about it like the aquarium of Tchekhov.) If “Splitsville” was just that, it was worth the entry price.
But Covino and Marvin built around him a funny Roma-Com in the concept of open relations. He is shaggy in places and promotes one side of his story above the other, but ultimately made a delicious period.
Even before reaching the aforementioned combat, “Splitsville” quickly establishes its absurd tone in the opening. The gym teacher Carey (Marvin) and his wife, the coach of life Ashley (Adria Arjona), are on his way to the beach house belonging to their richest friends Julie (Dakota Johnson) and Paul (Michael Angelo Covino), Carey’s Best Friend.
But even if Carey and Ashley Duet (evil) Stevie Nicks and Kenny Loggins “every time I call you my friend”, something is going badly. Ashley wants Carey to be more sexually adventurous. He wants a baby. And then manual work in transit goes badly when a car in front of them crashes, causing at least one death. This is enough to put life in perspective for Ashley. She wants to divorce.
Carey is discouraged and leaves the car, walking to Julie and Paul through marshy water while the titles play on the tart partition of Dabney Morris and David Wingo. In their place, taking care of the emotional wounds of Carey and verifying him of ticks, Julie and Paul reveal their secret to happiness: they have an open marriage. It is quickly clear, however, that they are not as cold on the extramarital affairs as they appear. The next day, Paul, a real estate guy, left in the city and Julie deplores his absence in his life. Carey and Julie have sex. Paul, learning their coitus, does not take it well. Therefore: the slaughtered scrum.
From there, Marvin and Covino turn their premises to more ridiculous heights while Carey returns to the city to note that Ashley began to take a series of lovers more and more needy to which he systematically binds. (At one point, he shows them “Lorenzo oil” for the cinema evening. A perfect joke.) Meanwhile, Paul finds himself in a work crisis that puts the lifestyle of Julie and their rebel son Russ (Simon Webster) in Jeopardy, leading Julie to the sweetness of the sweetness of Carey.
Marvin plays Carey as a charming loser with whom you cannot help but fall in love in such an endearing performance that you have no trouble believing that two of the most beautiful women on the planet would be in him, even when he is pathetic and boring. (The fact that his character has a huge cock that we see on several occasions helps to support this.) Covino, on the other hand, plays Paul with a suspicion of repugnant energy of rich guys, who resembles the polar opposite of Carey’s sweet nature.
As for women, Johnson obtains the best role as Julie, who loves the existence she created with Paul but is not satisfied with Paul himself. She channels her frustration in deliveries of ironic sardon lines. Arjona, on the other hand, has comical scenes more downright squarely because Ashley, who tries new personalities more and more eccentric when she dates from new people. But his story is also shortened. Perhaps because the story immediately turns to Carey after announcing that she wants to go out, we never really have time to understand her desires. It is more difficult to be on its side, especially since Carey seems to be a nice guy and a good secular from Julie’s point of view.
Even when the beats feel subscribed, the script of Marvin and Covino is so funny that it does not really matter. A piece of “vanilla sky” made me scream, and the appearance of Nicholas Braun as a mentalist results in a crier. In addition to that, Covino, working with the director of photography Adam Newport-Berra, depicts action with propulsiveness and creativity that make domestic cinematographic problems.
“Splitsville” will probably not progress the conversation around open relationships and their viability, but I am not sure that it is intention. In fact, I think those who believe in the concept could make fun of the film. However, the filmmakers have created a completely endearing story of four people trying to negotiate their own desires in the most silly way possible with unexpected chaos every turn.
Grade: B +
The world first of “Splitsville” was presented in the Cannes section at the 2025 Cannes Festival. Neon will publish it in theaters in the United States on August 22.
