I love romantic comedies! It's one of the genre's that I wish had more presence at the movie theaters. I love how the genre explores all sides of the relationships beyond romance , sex, and love. Lets face it, relationships are work and the work lends itself to awkward funny moments for the audience to enjoy. The problem I have with some romantic comedies are how perfect the actors and actresses look . It's hard to identify with unrealistic characters who are dealing with real problems. This is something the director and writers of 3rd Street Blackout avoid. This film is not only good but it is funny, endearing, and represents individuals who are normally restricted to the supporting role.
The plot centers around a New York couple who is trying to figure out their relationship during a blackout. The main characters are what some would consider nerdy or geek. Mina Shamkhali (Negin Farsad) is a neuro-scientist and Rudy Higgins (Jeremy Redleaf) is a hack/ computer programmer. Their chemistry between these two is very evident and genuinely executed. The text messaging and video chats between the two characters were used well to demonstrate how much these two cared for each other. As wonderful as these characters were together, they had just as many funny moments on their own. The scene were Mina gives her TED talk was funny and the scene preceding the TED Talk was funny. The best moment of the film for me was seeing Janeane Garofalo on screen. Her delivery and performance was on point. Her wit and sarcasm were an added bonus to the film.
I appreciate how the director and writer didn't rely on superficial traits to define Mina's character. It would have been easy to use a pretty face for the role but instead the creative powers that be chose to focus on the complete person. Watching Rudy interact with his co-workers/ buddies was enjoyable! Another highlight with Rudy was watching him punch someone in the ear. Another funny standout scene in 3rd Street Blackout Rudy and Mina using the messenger to deliver hand written note to each other. This film is guaranteed to make you smile. I had fun watching it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
