YPF

A spoiler light review of YPF should begin with tone, because Martin Gero understands exactly how this comedy ought to feel. YPF gains early credibility from Aaron Abrams, whose presence is balanced by the different rhythm of Carly Pope. The foundation of YPF can be stated simply: On a Tuesday night, five couples have separate sexual adventures. Within its 1h 27m running time, YPF reveals both the benefits and the limits of that disciplined approach.

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Martin Gero shapes YPF with an approach that feels unable to turn workable ingredients into a stable rhythm. The best directed passages in YPF establish an objective, let the characters respond and then allow the pressure to change naturally. The premise retains appeal even when the finished film struggles in YPF, particularly when Martin Gero resists the urge to underline an already clear emotion. My main reservation about YPF is that explanation repeatedly takes the place of discovery, a limitation that interrupts rather than defines the experience.

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Beneath its plot, YPF is most interested in embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. That concern becomes visible through Aaron Abrams, whose choices allow YPF to explore an idea without stopping for a speech. Tuesday gives the themes of YPF a concrete dramatic form rather than leaving them abstract. The emotional value of YPF grows whenever Martin Gero trusts the audience to connect behaviour with the larger question.

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YPF is most involving when the screenplay allows Tuesday to complicate what initially appears to be a story about the central character. That shift gives Aaron Abrams a more specific problem to carry through YPF. Working from material credited to Aaron Abrams, YPF reveals an important relationship at a measured pace instead of rushing toward its largest turn. The later pressure around a difficult choice shows why YPF benefits whenever cause and consequence remain visibly connected.

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Aaron Abrams gives YPF its most dependable performance, finding a clear emotional intention beneath the plot. Opposite Aaron Abrams, Carly Pope brings YPF a contrasting pace that prevents the central relationship from feeling flat. Kristin Booth widens the ensemble of YPF through reactions that suggest a life beyond the immediate scene. Martin Gero serves the cast of YPF best when a look or pause is allowed to finish before the story moves on.

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The craft of YPF is defined by comic timing built around character, supported by comic timing built around character rather than overwhelmed by decoration. Copperheart Entertainment gives YPF a production framework in which well judged reactions can remain connected to story. Made from a Canada production context, YPF uses setting and design to clarify mood before dialogue has to explain it. The technical finish of YPF works because image, sound and editing appear to be serving the same immediate purpose.

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For comedy fans who respond to personality and timing, YPF is ultimately a missed opportunity rather than a complete failure. Its most persuasive combination in YPF brings Aaron Abrams together with well judged reactions under the direction of Martin Gero. The fact that explanation repeatedly takes the place of discovery prevents YPF from being entirely seamless. Even with that reservation, YPF has a clear point of view and enough genuine feeling to justify the journey.