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PrintIn Calling It Quits, an Ending Means a New Beginning
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When I was asked to review a new independent film, Calling It Quits, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I found was a touching romance, and a charming and humorous take on a mid-life crisis…with a surprise ending I never expected.
The story begins when Dante Milestone, a successful Manhattan ad exec, walks into his office one day and says, “I’m done.” When he walks out, he begins a poignant and remarkable journey to rediscover the meaning in his life. But this award-winning film by Anthony Tarsitano is not your typical male mid-life crisis movie. There are no cattle drives, no vacations on tropical islands, no suburban angst. It’s a very personal and real portrayal of a man who has lost his soul.
It’s also a beautiful and tender love story, told in a series of flashbacks to Dante’s early days as an aspiring artist. Alba, a true free spirit, inspires him to develop his talent, and their Bohemian romance unfolds in cold-water walk-ups as Dante struggles to find success with his painting.
Back in the present, Dante is determined to find happiness. Like his literary namesake, he attempts to climb out of his self-made purgatory. He’s willing to try anything. Even golf. And a colonoscopy. And a funny series of other vignettes that bring some delightful lighthearted moments to the film.
But nothing seems to work, until, as a last resort, Dante confides in his local convenience store manager, who sends him to a spiritual guide. Cynthia is a practitioner of an ancient Indian philosophy that asks, “Is it possible we create our own unhappiness? That a reflection of our own view of the world becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy?” With her help, Dante begins to learn how to see the world from a different angle, and, perhaps, to start to forgive himself. As Cynthia explains, “To accept the unacceptable, that’s the greatest grace of all.”
This film will resonate with anyone who has ever been in love, who has ever had to “settle” for something less than their dreams, or who has ever been humbled by life. It weaves Dante’s journey of self-discovery seamlessly with flashbacks to the beginnings of his career and his lifelong romance with Alba. Which begs the question of why Dante is so alone in the present. There are some deep plot twists and surprises that give this movie an extraordinary depth.
Handsome and charismatic Dennis Boutsikaris portrays Dante with exceptional sensitivity, subtly combining self-deprecating humor with an air of carrying a burden too sad to even acknowledge. The film’s style also helps emphasize Dante’s aloneness, showing him mostly in wide angle frames, on the edges of empty rooms, and isolated in shadows – even when surrounded by other people. And Kristen Bush as the young Alba is hauntingly unforgettable.
This film is warm, graceful and uplifting. The story and the characters stayed with me long after the credits rolled. It’s a perfect date night movie. I’d give Calling It Quits five stars, and I highly recommend that you discover it for yourself. You can get it on DVD only at www.callingitquitsmovie.com.
