Awkward, indecisive, ordinary people are at the center of filmmaker Sophie Brooks’s dull, low-key rom-com. Returning to New York after spending three years in London, thirty-ish Diana (Zosia Mamet) is an aspiring writer who ostensibly works in a bridal shop, but—judging by her spacious Fort Greene apartment—is still being financially supported by her indulgent father. It isn’t until after she has moved into the apartment building, which is owned by a widow (Deirdre O’Connell), that Diana realizes her old boyfriend, a musician named Ben (Matthew Shear), lives on the ground floor with his new girlfriend (Sarah Ramos). Frequent extended flashbacks reveal how the fumbling romance between squirrely Diana and snuggly Ben flamed and fizzled after she decided that she preferred freedom over commitment, which left him heartbroken. But now Diana is back in Brooklyn, filled with regrets and heavily into full-time flirting with good-guy Ben. That they will reconnect and re-ignite their relationship is an absolutely foregone conclusion. Unfortunately, sarcastic Diana is so constantly befuddled that it’s hard to either identify or sympathize with her. And her hair/makeup/wardrobe choices make her look as unattractive as possible. Optional, at best. (S. Granger)
The Boy Downstairs
FilmRise, 90 min., PG-13, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $24.95, Apr. 2 Volume 33, Issue 4
The Boy Downstairs
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