Contrary to popular belief that insists upon their demise, first-rate romantic comedies are still alive and well. Sadly, Jason Winer’s perplexing farce “Ode to Joy” — on the misadventures of a tedi…
Contrary to popular belief that insists upon their demise, first-rate romantic comedies are still alive and well. Sadly,’s perplexing farce “Ode to Joy” — on the misadventures of a tedious male lead with a self-sabotaging biology that opposes happiness — makes it harder than ever to dispute the mourners of the supposedly vanished genre. Humorless to a paralyzing extent, this joyless effort illustrates how a bad-on-paper idea can turn into something cringe-inducing onscreen.
Inspired by a true story featured on the “This American Life” podcast, the labored romp follows the Brooklyn librarian Charlie, played by a deliberately monotonous sans an emotional range. Suffering from cataplexy — a form of narcolepsy that causes him to collapse like a Harry Potter character hit by an immobilizing hex whenever he feels a rush of powerful emotions — Charlie spends his days bickering with his oddball co-workers without indulging in extremes and restraining his cheerful feelings.
Our disbelief only grows when Francesca falls victim to a distasteful ploy and starts dating Charlie’s goofy brother Cooper , whose low-key misogyny and frequent use of the word “chick” registers, but does not amuse in the slightest. There is also Melissa Rauch’s wide-eyed, absurdly frank Bethany . Out of nowhere, she briefly becomes Charlie’s love interest and almost bedfellow. Hilarity doesn’t ensue when the two couples take a joint trip to a quaint bed and breakfast somewhere upstate.
Mostly known for his behind-the-camera TV credits on shows like “Modern Family” and “1600 Penn,” Winer doesn’t bring much finesse into the generic visuals of “Ode to Joy.” In fairness to him, no amount of directorial elegance could have saved the artificial beats of a narrative that fails to create believable sexual tension between its “romantic” leads and amounts only to an utterly shallow showdown between brothers with long-standing scores to settle.
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