“Do Us Part” follows Ryan, whose wedding day becomes chaotic when his college best friend and unrequited love, Rose, crashes the ceremony to come clean about her feelings for him.
Writer-director Reed Arnold weaves flashbacks into the story to subvert expectations. On your wedding day, it’s natural to reminisce on favorite memories with your partner. That’s not exactly the case here, with these recollections serving a different purpose. It’s an effective way to balance the present-day craziness, driving viewers toward a mixture of varying feelings. The scenes can extend too long, however, sometimes covering days and weeks at a time. With not every detail feeling fully relevant, they begin to take away from the central narrative that’s so compelling.
Through the progression of the 94-minute runtime, “Do Us Part” evolves into something even more complicated than its basic premise might suggest. As if it weren’t intricate enough already. Arnold handles all of the moving pieces with grace, navigating a minefield of layered feelings, past mistakes and new challenges. In the process, it becomes more meaningful — and also more entertaining.
A lot of this comes from the trio of Travis Laughlin (Ryan), Kelly Russo (Rose) and Arnold (Mark). Laughlin is quietly charismatic, with restrained delivery that epitomizes his character’s caring personality. Russo’s performance is sensitive, declaring bold feelings without ever overacting. Arnold is the loudest of the group, filling the void with over-the-top jokes and allegories. When their personalities begin to clash, it proves to be the perfect blend of strangely unique people who somehow mesh together.
“Do Us Part” presents an abundance of comedy. The jokes seem to never stop, resulting in many laughs but also an abandonment of reality. Each new quip that is muttered makes the individuals slightly less authentic, at times growing into caricatures entirely. Coincidentally, it’s actually Arnold’s character, Mark, who ends up being the biggest offender.
By the time the film reaches its conclusion, it has something to say: not everything is perfect. In life, it’s a precious thing to find something (or someone) that is so real. There’s fantasy, and then there’s what you know. While it’s easy to fall into a rabbit hole of possibility, it’s important to stay true to yourself.
“You loved her. You did, but you also idealized her a little bit, and that’s poison. It’s wonderful, sweet, delicious poison. You thought Rose sh-t flowers and Hershey’s Kisses, but she doesn’t. She sh-t’s sh-t.”
Full of color, “Do Us Part” features deeply saturated visuals that enhance the rural setting. When outside, the lush green grass, hedge maze and trees add a beautiful ambiance. Director of photography Nic Vannatta typically keeps the camera still, but adds movement when the tension rises. This includes mid-shot transitions from static to handheld that coordinate with Josh, Stephen and Chas Tackett’s score. It’s full of fast-paced beats that match the disorganized nature of the onscreen events themselves. Still, more subdued piano melodies also arise in the film’s emotional moments.
“Do Us Part” turns a wedding disaster into an exploration of life’s imperfections. It’s a story about closing a chapter and starting a new one, with memorable characters who make both the highs and lows enjoyable.
Rating: 4 out of 5
