Comet, Kismet

Star-crossed lovers jump through time and space in an uneven romantic drama starring Emmy Rossum and Justin Long

At the beginning of Comet, viewers are advised that the story they are about to see is set over six years…across different dimensions. Automatically we assume that there is an element of fantasy or science fiction; one of those “love that transcends space and time” kind of movies.

I’m all for magical realism, but Comet doesn’t exactly take us there. While there is a dreamlike patina to this very modern take on the age-old tale of star-crossed lovers (and a mesmerizing, romantic double sunset), it never quite loses its grip on reality. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s a bit like promising a fancy steak dinner but ultimately serving something passable but generic, like pizza.

The directorial debut of Sam Esmail, Comet is about the love affair between Kimberly, played by Emmy Rossum, and Dell, played by Justin Long (there's some irony there if you're familiar with those Apple commercials Long used to do). They meet at a cemetery, so right away you can tell that this is not going to end well. Insecure but overcompensating Dell is immediately smitten by the slightly superficial but self-aware Kimberly. The initial awkwardness soon gives way to a palpable and undeniable chemistry; they trade barbs and challenge each other’s intellect. At one point, she tells him, “You don’t impress me,” to which he retorts confidently, “I disagree.”

The plot is disjointed; we hop from the beginning of their relationship to the middle and, ostensibly, the end; from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery during a meteor shower, to a hotel room in Paris, a train to Portland, a New York City bar, and a rooftop with a view of Los Angeles.

This patchwork strategy may seem innovative and clever at first, especially since the film is essentially an examination of time’s effect on relationships (they even make reference to it at one point, with Kimberly commenting about time-based art like music or film, versus those that do not have a beginning, middle and end, like paintings), but then you realize that other films have done it before. Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain comes to mind. Or, more recently, the hipster favorite 500 Days of Summer.

In fact, Comet has much in common with the Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel-starrer: two pairs of generally likable romantic leads; both zero in and attempt to analyze contemporary romantic relationships; and both utilize the unorthodox time-jumping narrative device. But while 500 Days of Summer was refreshing in its refusal to take itself too seriously, Comet is the complete opposite. It manages to elicit a few chuckles, sure, but, sadly, I felt it was weighed down by self-importance and an overreaching desire for reinvention.

There was certainly an attempt to be unconventional, particularly with the lighting and camera work (a gorgeous sequence at the cemetery had the two leads bathed in candy colored lights), but, ironically, it was hard to disregard Esmail’s heavy-handedness with the tropes of romantic dramas: the extreme close-ups during arguments, the tiresome slow-motion, even the corny violin score. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was being manipulated to feel a certain way, and that’s never a good thing.

I did appreciate the incredibly realistic, utterly absorbing repartee between Kim and Dell, especially at the cemetery. Esmail's dialogue strikes a balance between thoughtful and off-the-cuff, and hardly any of it feels contrived. Some of it may feel obnoxious and even pretentious, but feels less so if you find the right person you can share these meaningful conversations with. “I’m a ‘now’ person,” Kim says. “I’m a ‘five-minutes-from-now person,’” Dell replies. “I’m always way too anxious about what will happen five minutes from now. That’s why I miss a lot of things.”

I can certainly relate with Dell. Too often I worry about a thing’s outcome instead of simply living in and enjoying the moment. Perhaps that is also my problem with this film. I can’t enjoy it for what it is because I need to think about what else it could be.