p.s.
Directed by: Dylan Kidd.
Produced by: Robert Kessel, Anne Chaisson, John Hart & Jeff Sharp.
Written by: Helen Schulman & Dylan Kidd.
Director of Photography: Joaquin Baca-Asay.
Edited by: Kate Sanford.
Music by: Craig Wedren.
Released by: Newmarket.
Country of Origin: USA. 97 min. Rated: R.
With: Laura Linney, Topher Grace, Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden & Paul Rudd.

Adulthood has not been kind to Louise (Laura Linney). Stuck as an admissions administrator at Columbia University, she spends her nights alone except for a brief visit from her sole friend, her philandering ex-husband (Gabriel Byrne). It’s no wonder she still dreams of the past and the love of her life, her deceased high school sweetheart. When Louise happens upon an application from someone with almost the same name as her beloved boyfriend, she arranges an interview under false pretenses and discovers that the applicant, F. Scott (Topher Grace), bears a striking resemblance to her dead lover.

Just moments after their introductions, Louise takes F. Scott back to her apartment, which leads to a clumsy session of impulsive sex. Here, director Dylan Kidd makes clever use of uninterrupted takes and shots, which capture each stirring breath and awkward fumble, refreshingly free from a romanticized ideal. Along with the possible reincarnation of Louise’s lost love comes the return of Louise’s high school friend Missy (Marcia Gay Harden), who originally stole away the original Scott, and who makes a play for Louise’s new beau.

The uninterrupted shots add a strong dose of realism to a film based around a premise that may initially seem far too implausible to be taken seriously. But the use of detailed conversations and the small dramas of daily life build a trust with the audience. While Kidd returns to his theme of a younger man and an older woman (Roger Dodger), this film has a more flowing style. Gone are the jerky camera angles, and this time, thankfully, the younger man is more than legal age. Laura Linney and Topher Grace give off sparks, and Marcia Gay Harden shows a knack as a vamp. However, the film becomes lost in its conversations. Instead of giving screen time to the drama and tension unfolding, the film focuses so much on the small details that we are only given a glimpse of the relationships unfolding. Adrienne Urbanski
October 15, 2004