THE LONGEST WEEK

Cinemavixion Review

Peter Glanz and Juan Iglesias's "The Longest Week" presents a comedic, albeit somewhat bleak, exploration of existential ennui and romantic entanglement. Starring Jason Bateman as Conrad Valmont, a man adrift in his forties, the film chronicles his financial and emotional unraveling after his parents' divorce. Bateman delivers a performance that leans into Conrad's privileged helplessness, a trait that makes his subsequent romantic machinations all the more cringeworthy. The plot, which sees Conrad falling for his friend Dylan's (Billy Crudup) girlfriend Beatrice (Olivia Wilde), is a well-trodden path, but the film attempts to inject it with a dose of intellectual pretension. While the supporting cast, including Jenny Slate as a potential romantic interest, adds texture, the narrative struggles to find a consistent tone, oscillating between sharp wit and ponderous self-reflection. Despite its promising premise and a capable cast, "The Longest Week" ultimately feels like a missed opportunity, a film that gestures towards deeper themes but remains largely on the surface, much like its titular character.