XX/XY American Directions

Don’t let the simple title fool you. Writer/director Austin Chick has fashioned a rich, involving drama about the sheer messiness of being in love, told in two parts held together by Mark Ruffalo’s thoroughly natural and commanding performance.

Part One chronicles a year in the salad days of Coles, an irrepressibly charming, hopelessly immature animator (a randy Ruffalo is there any better young actor at eliciting sympathy for characters who seemingly don’t merit it?), spunky Sarah Lawrence undergrad Sam and her provocative best friend, Thea, with a passion igniting between Coles and Sam that burns all three.

Eight years later, Thea is the grounded one, happily married to restauranteur Nick, while Coles has found only restless contentment with Claire, and Sam has bolted on fiance Jonathan. A chance encounter between Coles and Sam reunites the three friends, forcing the former lovers to make a decision time has only delayed, not dismissed.