I Do... Until I Don't (2017) User Reviews

I really wanted to like this, but...

[paul-allaer · 5/10 · 9 September 2017]

"I Do... Until I Don't" (2017 release; 103 min.) brings the story of a British woman doing a documentary about the state of marriage. As the movie opens, Vivian, the British woman, is giving a presentation to a group of people in Vero Beach, FL. Vivian wonders if there is support to making marriage a 7 year deal with a renewal option. Meanwhile we get to know several married couples: there is Alice and Noah, who sell blinds for interior decorating, are low on money and trying to conceive. Vivian's sister Fanny and her husband are "free thinkers" (read: hippies) who supposedly have an open marriage. And then there is Cybil and Harvey, an older couple whose marriage has seen better times. At this point we are 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the second feature length movie (after the excellent "In a World" a few years ago) that is written, produced and directed by Lake Bell (in addition to starring in the lead role, here as Alice). This basic premise is potentially interesting but alas, the movie gets stuck in certain patterns that are utterly predictable and not even interesting. It's a darn shame, as certainly the performers try their best: Ed Helms plays Bell's husband, but the show is for me almost stolen by the delightful Mary Steenburgen (as Cybil), an all too rare sighting of this great actress. Paul Reiser portrays her husband. This movie is billed as a comedy, and while there certainly are some moments that I chuckled, there isn't anything remotely crazy funny in the movie. In fact, the movie is more rom-com than just comedy. In the end, this movie feels like a missed opportunity: so much talent on the screen! I absolutely love Lake Bell, and I really wanted to like this, but in the end I just couldn't.

"I Do... Until I Don't" is now in its second week at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Saturday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (7 people, including myself). Given the so-so critical buzz and correlating word-of-mouth, I can't see this playing in theaters very long. This movie really is for Lake Bell fans, and even there, better see this with lowered expectations.

Dialogue Falls Flat

[larrys3 · 4/10 · 30 November 2017]

There's a good cast and some humorous and poignant moments here, but the movie never seems to gel into an enjoyable or entertaining film. A lot of the dialogue and crude humor also seems to fall flat and I could not emotionally connect to the ensemble characters.

Dolly Wells is strong in her role of Vivian Prudeck, a conniving British documentary filmmaker trying to interview 3 couples that she hopes will eventually prove her theory that marriage as we know it is archaic, and that it should be a 7 year contract with an option to renew. Prudeck's interplay with her deadpan assistant Mel (Connie Shin) can be darkly funny at times.

Overall, despite some top shelf names in the cast here, the script by Lake Bell, who also directs and stars in the movie, just doesn't consistently work , in my opinion, and therefore this one was a disappointment to me.

Tedious and practically unwatchable (except for Lake Bell)

[lajospn · 1/10 · 4 September 2017]

Look, I loved Lake Bell's previous movie "In a world ...", it was the perfect romantic comedy, off-beat, funny, and with a heart. In fact, I'm probably in love with Lake Bell because I thought she was the best thing in it: she has this natural vulnerability about her that manifests itself in minor gestures and in those big, expressive eyes. I'm just saying this because, if anything, I'm prejudiced for her, not against her.

Anyways, I *wanted* to love this movie, but it's a piece of crap. The insular, middle class environment is literally suffocating. The characters are hateful and empty, without a single redeeming feature (again, except for Lake Bell's Alice).

Let's dive in, shall we?

Ed Helms can be extremely funny (see The Office), but here, he's just depressing. First, he runs the family business (selling blinds!) into the ground. Not because he gambled away the money (you wish!), but through sheer incompetence. And the sad thing is, he doesn't even seem to mind: he seems as upset about it as you'd be about a clogged toilet (well, probably less). He's bland as sop, has no passions or hobbies, probably stares at drying paint for fun. Which begs the question: why would I care if he wanted a child? I would suggest a vasectomy instead, just to save future generations from his pathetic gene line. Problem is, we, the audience immediately question why on earth would a hot and classy girl, like Lake Bell, settle for this guy? Because he reliably flushes the toilet? Honestly, I was baffled. To top this off, there's zero (and I mean ZERO), chemistry between him and Lake Bell. (And I've probably never seen a less exciting invitation for sex in my life. "Meet me in the toilet. In 5." It would be tough for Brad Pitt to pull this off, let alone Ed Helms.)

Paul Reiser and Mary Steenburgen's couple was the worst. There's nothing less appealing then people well into their 50s who still haven't found anything in their life to be passionate (or, at least, excited) about. They have money, apparently, but do nothing with it. Theirs is a meaningless existence, where conversation (when not hateful) is as shallow as a puddle. I doubt they'd ever read a book, listen to music, or do anything outside their comfort zone. And because they are so desperately banal (yet, at the same time, judgmental), nobody cares if their marriage survives or not. I would have been thrilled if the lady fell in love with the pool boy, burnt down the house for insurance money, and told her stupid husband where to get off. At least then, something would have happened.

And, my Gosh, haven't we had enough cheap hippie jokes already? Who thinks making fun of hippies is original, or fresh? Those guys died out in the 60s, all we have left are some dumb hipsters, and even they are too lame to make fun of anymore. In other words, the hippie couple induced the highest levels of indifference in me: Amber Heard is hot, sure, but she doesn't flash her boobs, so no dice. The black dude seems well-adjusted, happily idling away his days, doing sod-all on daddy's money (and he's sleeping with Amber Heard, so he's got that going for him). Why exactly should I care what happens to them? (And no, they are not even into drugs, despite being sooo hippie: at least that would have given the proceedings a little zest).

The 'marriage is dead' plot is artificial, forced, and utterly predictable, which is not a good thing for a movie. I mean, seriously, would anybody in their right mind think for a second that Paul Reiser's character will suddenly say "Screw this, I'm moving to Albania to herd goats!" Exactly nobody. We know the score: marriage is NOT dead, damn it, people, don't you understand?! (For humanitarian reasons I will say nothing about the BBC documentary lady.)

OK, so what about Lake Bell's Alice? Well, as I mentioned before, she's good (great, in fact), but she's stuck in a terrible movie (of her own making, I know, but still). I think she needs to take more risks next time, blow up the living room, burn things down, let blood cruise through the veins of characters so that they make rush decisions, terrible mistakes, and decide to call it quits, if necessary. In other words, she needs to step up her game, because we're witnessing an Oscar caliber actress wasting her talents on insipid fare, best shown on the Lifetime channel for bored housewives. In Vero Beach.

A sad failure

[rcastl2335 · 1/10 · 9 September 2017]

For fans of Lake Bell's "In A World" (and I'm one of them) who have been waiting for her to produce another comedy at that level, "I Do...Until I Don't" will prove to be a seriously sad disappointment. Trying for a Christopher Guest (Best Of Show) type documentary satire, Bell flops on every level. The film is pointless, shapeless, aimless. Very early in this comedy about marriage, Bell loses track of the story and it wanders blandly between three couples. And despite the cast of accomplished comedic actors, which includes Mary Steenburgen, Paul Reiser, Wyatt Cenac and Ed Helms, it has perhaps 2 laughs and 2 good scenes. Finally Bell, who takes the lead role, has completely wrung dry her stammer-and-stumble acting schtick. I don't think she finishes a complete sentence in the entire movie. I still have hopes for a good Lake Bell comedy. It's just that this one ain't it.

really bad

[patricianledezma · 1/10 · 23 February 2018]

Whoever made this must have money to burn, it sucked. the characters were boring and predictable, save your hard earned money and watch something else.

Why so serious?

[jrneptune · 7/10 · 27 December 2018]

To put it simply I enjoyed the movie. The storyline might not have been intense, meaningful, or compelling but it was enjoyable to watch the couples learn something about themselves that one person in this case, was trying to exploit for their own benefit and celebrity.

Life can be funny at times if you are willing to see the humor in it. Worth the watch if you have the time.

The second half is better than the first half

[Gordon-11 · 7 December 2017]

This film tells the story of three couples in a small town, who have varying degrees of relationship problems. They are approached by a documentary film maker, and their relationships are drastically changed.

The story is off to a slow start, but it gradually improves. The initial impression is that the film has a lot of static shots, as if the camera is mounted on a tripod. As the film progresses, the camera work improves and moves with the actors. The story gets sympathetic and sweet as the film progresses too. I enjoyed the second half much more than the first half.

Loathesome Characters

[roger-j-smith · 1/10 · 14 March 2018]

Painful to watch a bunch of unlikeable people. Couldn't get through 20 minutes of that crap.

Watch the whole film

[thedudebryant · 7/10 · 4 January 2019]

It seems like many of the bad reviews were based on the first half of the film and maybe those folks, expecting a romantic comedy, gave up. It's not the greatest film but much better than the bad reviews. There are some funny parts and some hilarious. In the end it's sweet and that in it self my be a spoiler.

Irritating to watch and no real point to it.

[tgmuzik · 1/10 · 27 August 2021]

This movie is not good. It has some very talented actors and actresses in it, but the plot doesn't really say anything. The constant bickering and people talking and yelling over each other actually stresses me out and nothing really coherent is accomplished. I can't deal with that type of behavior in anyone, so watching a movie like that is really not conducive to invoking any kind of enjoyment in watching. Total waste of time. I can't really add any spoilers, because the entire thing is nonsense without any moment worthy of spoiling. Do Not Watch.

Different

[HumbleMensa · 8/10 · 3 November 2018]

I think perhaps you have to be of a certain age group and/or married for an extended period of time to really appreciate this movie. A few laugh out loud moments. And, a few "I understand this" moments. This is an entertaining movie, not an award-winning one. Worth a watch.

Sweet flick that's not too coherent, which also seems sweet

[stevendepeven-1 · 7/10 · 3 December 2017]

disclaimer: some people identify as Cumberbitch; I definitely identify as Bell Boy

I can imagine why most of the reviews were pretty brutal: for an American comedy it's pretty subtle, perhaps because of how much Lake Bell has studied and worked in the UK. For a drama it's often times pretty corny, especially in the final 15-20 minutes where there's a whole lot of resolution with not a whole lot of story to accompany/account for it...

Still, I think it's beautifully made with nice performances of a bunch of really nice people, and perhaps because of the (quite human?) amount of corn, the resolution did feel nicely cathartic to me. Lovely cathartic even.

7.8 out of 10, to be more precise. Thanks Lake!

Decent comedy by Lake Bell.

[subxerogravity · 6/10 · 2 September 2017]

The ending is a little iffy, but the key to liking it seems to be connecting  to the couples in the movie. Movie itself is about a woman doing a documentary that will confirm her theory that marriage is a sham. She interviews three couples: Lake Bell plays a woman whose so into the documentary filmmaker that she lies about how unhappy she is with her husband (played by Ed Helms who I really like in this one) to get into the documentary. Her sister (played by Amber Heard) also gets selected for the documentary because of her open relationship with the father of her child and the last relationship, which is my favorite of the bunch. A seasoned coupled played by Paul Riser and Mary Steenburgen who just entered a rough patch in their relationship. It's not as confrontational as you would expect about a comedy about couples having troubles with their relationship would be , but it does express the anxiety that comes with being in a committed relationship for a long time, and it does a nice job of that. Very enjoyable for my taste.

http://cinemagardens.com

Most of all it's just uplifting and sweet.

[Hellmant · 7/10 · 6 December 2017]

'I DO...UNTIL I DON'T': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

The new romantic comedy from actress turned writer/director Lake Bell, who also performed both duties on 2011's 'IN A WORLD...'. Bell also costars in the movie, with Ed Helms, Dolly Wells, Mary Steenburgen, Paul Reiser, Amber Heard and Wyatt Cenac. The story revolves around a bitter filmmaker, who's interviewing three couples in hopes of updating society's concept of marriage. The film has received mostly negative reviews from critics. I think it's a sweet, and mostly enjoyable movie.

The story revolves around an egotistical documentarian, named Vivian (Wells), who is hoping to make a hit documentary proving her cynical beliefs on marriage are true. She thinks marriage should only be a seven-year contract, with the option to renew. Vivian finds three different couples, all going through their own different relationship issues, to be her film's subjects. When the relationships turn out to be more positive than the filmmaker was hoping for, she tries to intervene and make things worse for them.

The movie is mildly funny, but most of all it's just uplifting and sweet. I've never had any problems with feel good films, I think they're a necessity for a happy life. This is one of those movies. There's not a lot more to it, but Bell does a decent enough job directing, and the cast is all good as well. I enjoyed watching it.

Watch a new episode of our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/xsOj7IhB5us

Come on!

[Filmville · 8/10 · 30 December 2021]

It is fun, witty, chatty, warm and acting is good! Most of you who rated it "1" must be young and single. I have seen "Shark meets Godzilla" movies with better rating. This is how life in a relationship is! And you get several couples in trouble here and you will surprise yourself. The movies will fool you on at least few stereotypes on this movie :-)

A gem

[ximposter · 10/10 · 1 January 2019]

I stumbled upon this movie and am really glad that I did. I found myself laughing out loud throughout this movie. The script, dialog, casting and acting are great. I was very impressed to find out that Lake Bell wrote and directed it, as well as acted in it, whom I always liked as an actress. I have watched it a couple of times already and plan to watch it a few more times before I delete it from my DVR.

Ignore all the bad review's!!

[lyndsaywharrie · 8/10 · 26 October 2019]

Seriously!? What is wrong with folk! This film was a somewhat realistic view of relationships. Not everything is what it seems. It's not always easy....BUT this film was a gd comedy! Ppl need 2 lighten up!! For all the folk who gave bad reviews I feel sorry 4u!! ....is life THAT bad!!???

Cute

[shane1181 · 8/10 · 3 September 2021]

I thought it would be one thing, but it turned out to another affirming and celebrating marriage with four different couples of varying ages/life stages. Loved it! I laughed. I cried. I thought it was really cute. I've been married eight years and could relate to much of it.

Just forget the documentary filmmaker. She's lame!

Watch until the end!!!

[cdoughertya · 10/10 · 3 July 2021]

I understand the first 30 minutes or so are roughish, just understand you're meant to not like these characters at first and then, I found myself crying laughing all of it. Absolute gem so happy I watched!

great to see Lake Bell again

[cattlecrossing · 9/10 · 6 September 2017]

We fell in love with Lake Bell in In a World and it's great to see her again. I Do has a great premise, characters, and droll humor. It has Bell's signature style of parody combined with deep affection for ordinary people. I Do is not at all corny, but it believes in relationships -- that's a really nice escape from all the 'beautiful people' and cynicism that pervades most Hollywood writing.

Not a "this genre" guy, but I loved it

[Matteoao · 8/10 · 1 May 2020]

Watch it! Don't listen to the reviews! I think nobody should ever read reviews before watching a movie. We're all different, we all have different tastes and different comprehentions of the meanings inside a movie. I really loved this movie. It is soft, it hugs you and gives you hope. It is a "normal life" movie. It is what couples go through, what married people go through. But most of all it is new, fresh, very very little clichès (which is hard for a romantic comedi). Very original. I really liked it. I don't know what people who gave bad reviews hoped to see, but I wasn't disappointed.

WATCH THE MOVIE. READ THE REVIEWS AFTER.