Oh, the tale of the blind date. It is always equal parts sad, desperate, and inexplicably sweet. Bernie and Rebecca may take place at the tail end of such a story, but it still maintains these identifiable tones. It begins at Rebecca’s (Brianna Barnes) front door, where Bernie (Kyle Davis) explains that he does not go by the name Bernard. It is an intriguing opening monologue, explaining the personality differences between shorthand vs. formal names.

The film continues with dialogue of this nature. It is what you would expect from date conversation, but it is not banal or uninteresting. The dialogue does drop off a bit when it becomes overly frank, but the comedy is still present as the date moves from a first date to a lifetime.

Presenting the reality of married life through two characters who are on a first date is a unique way to tell a story that has been told thousands of times before. The narrative may be conventional in this way, but it is presented with a smart script and smarter editing choices. The acting performances from Barnes and Davis doesn’t hurt any, either, moving the script forward with tones of comedy and resigned strife.

Bernie and Rebecca is short, sweet, and to the point, and it succeeds with its original yet simple take on a romance trope. It aims to rival romance features that tread through the same tired conventions, and it does so with energy and confidence that is commendable.

As always, thanks for reading!

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—Alex Brannan (@TheAlexBrannan)