1/2 New Year
The mileage I get from films like “1/2 New Year” depends almost entirely on how much I am engaged by the characters. The screenplay by Drew McAnany and Georgia Menides has a simple enough structure, centering on a “1/2 New Year” party a group of friend throw the last Saturday in June, meaning it’s the relationships and character dynamics that we have to be sold on. The ones here I enjoyed well enough. The film isn’t really about lofty ideas other than the complicated nature of adult friendships and relationships. That makes for a fun 75 minutes well spent.
The film begins on the day of this group’s “1/2 New Year” celebration, and Reed (Drew McAnany) is trying to get his friend, Josh (Matt Schulte), excited about it- it’s an annual ritual, and a fresh way to keep everyone moving through the year. This one will be a breaking point, for relationships, but especially, for Reed and Josh; Josh is not in a good place, and the party stops cold when he and Reed have a troubling falling out that fractures their friendship. We then cut to the next year, and Josh has distanced himself from the group after what happened the year before, and Reed is thinking about moving back with his parents. A lot has changed, and a surprising night with Brynn (Bo Youngblood), might have Reed rethinking his plans.
“1/2 New Year” has a good hook for this type of movie about friendship, and especially, adult friendship, in the idea of a mid-year celebration. It’s a way for the characters to hold each other accountable for their life as the year progresses, as well as to relax and have fun. The way the character dynamics are written and performed by the actors feels very authentic and entertaining; we understand the choices the characters make, and how those choices effect their other relationships within the group. This is a movie very personal and empathetic towards these characters, although I will admit the interest I personally had in them wavered, at times. But Tom Morash knows what he has in this story, and executes it quite well. It’s a good time with good characters.
**”1/2 New Year” comes out on iTunes on September 10th, and can be pre-ordered here.
