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Best movie of this year hands down!

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

To me, this movie is perfection.

Such a frustrating disappointment

The film, as I see it, shows that Theo and Nat are stuck in the so-called erotic block. Clues are numerous, though rather understated. The title of the film is somewhat ironic, if not paradoxical. There is monogamy and monogamy. What Theo encounters in his tracking down of the exhibitionist blonde is the erotic side of that often humdrum institution called "marriage", or monogamy for that matter. In other words, Theo encounters what can happen to be the gateway to heaven on earth and can help monogamy become erotic and thus thriving (counterintuitive though this may seem culturally). An erotic couple may engage in role play thus allowing themselves to enter altered states of consciousness (for it's in the brain that eroticism burgeons, sex being merely a function) after which they happily return to "normal". Goes without saying, it shouldn't be taken for a recipe, i.e. success formula, which would be rather reductionist, for art is metaphor, first and foremost... The actor Chris Messina renders the anguish of the fellow about to enter what "only death should the couple part" in a beautifully nuanced way that testifies to the depth of his talent.

A small Tribeca Film Fest entry, Monogamy has a nice and respectable performance at its heart (Rashida Jones -- The Social Network, I Love You Man, "Parks and Recreation"); but the story boggles itself down with a delirious subtext of obsession that I found distracting and overly time-consuming.The story is about a young NYC couple a few months away from their upcoming marriage -- Jones and Chris Messina (Julie & Julia, Devil, Away We Go) -- who come upon a rough spot in their relationship. A wedding photographer by day who has grown bored with the monotony and routine of it all, Theo (Messina) starts up a side job which has clients contact him to take voyeuristic photographs of them (in secret).Theo quickly becomes obsessed with his latest client known as "Subgirl" and, well, his obsession takes over not only his life and relationship but the film as well. It became too consuming for this viewer because (at the film's beginning) Monogamy appeared to be about the couple (equally!). Unfortunately and frustratingly (for us), about thirty minutes into the film there are longs spells with NO Jones (she disappears!) ... and this hurts the film (just as it would a relationship).The story is a decent one -- one about fidelity and devotion -- but it takes some spills with Theo's perplexed mind. While the story is realistic and the relationship at its core doesn't appear to be "acted" (well done by both Messina and Jones); I think the film took too many strolls from the narrative thread that mattered and in doing-so relegated Jones to a minor character (again ... a drastic error!).That the film isn't consistent would be my biggest complaint of Monogamy. I liked what I saw until what I saw didn't matter (such as Jones taking the backseat in her own movie) ... and that is about a third of the film while Theo is busy being a voyeur.That -- itself -- is kind of strange/ironic as voyeurism is "watching" and those scenes were the least-watchable ones in Monogamy. This film isn't ALWAYS pleasant and happy and that is as it should be. It is a realistic depiction of a crumbling and strained relationship that is faced with questions that those involved might not want to answer and/or face. I do know that if Rashida Jones hadn't basically been written-out of half of the film, Monogamy would have been better than it is.

I saw this film at Tribeca and it really stayed with me. I was pleased it won BEST NY NARRATIVE - it was by far the best film at the festival. The concept of man being faithful has obviously been explored in film, but this is a fresh and very well told story. The acting is superb, both performances from Messina and Jones feel so real and true. While watching the film you truly feel like you are in this couple's apartment and lives, watching them struggle and deteriorate. Shapiro does a beautiful job giving the movie breath, letting us feel the reality of the situations. The cinematography is also beautiful - again real New York, not the one of shiny romantic comedies. it's definitely worth seeing when it gets released next year.

Monogamy (2010) was co-written and directed by Dana Adam Shapiro. The basic concept of the film is interesting. A photographer--Theo, played by Chris Messina--moonlights as "Gumshoot." Gumshoot is hired by people to take candid shots of themselves. It's an interesting thought--what do we look like when we're being photographed, but we aren't posing.The problem begins when Theo starts to photograph a striking blonde woman with whose life he becomes obsessed. This obsession begins to control him and eventually begins to cause a split between Theo and his fiancé Nat (Rashida Jones). I can't identify with a guy who doesn't have all that much going for him, and yet puts a wonderful relationship in jeopardy in order to follow his obsession. Of course, that's the point of the movie--if the obsession made sense, it wouldn't really be an obsession. If you can see things from Theo's point of view, you'll enjoy the movie. If not, probably not.We saw this film, at the Rochester 360-365 Film Festival. (Dumb name, but good festival.) It will work better on a large screen than a small screen, because part of the enjoyment comes from seeing the Brooklyn and Manhattan locations. In my opinion, not a film worth seeking out, but probably worth a look, especially if you're from NYC.