CANNES – What a great pleasure it is to have a madcap romantic comedy like Michael Angelo Covino’s “Splitsville” in the mix at a festival that has been particularly heavy when it comes to the emotional range it offers. This isn’t to say escapism is what is needed, as vacuous comedies are no good either, but a festival like Cannes, as well as movie theaters, could benefit significantly from more films that offer a tonal variety while still incisively being about fundamental elements of adult life.
“Splitsville” offers exactly that and then some. Not only is this a dark, delightful, and devious joy of an experience from start to finish, smoothing over most any rough patches it encounters along the way, but it has one of the most universally great casts you’ll likely see in a film like this in a modern cinematic landscape that is crying out for them. It also manages to poke fun at relationships while being oddly romantic and charming, making it a winner with layers. 
This all begins with a couple driving along a totally safe road and not expecting anything bad to happen that will bring the problems in their relationship to the surface. There is the slightly awkward Carey, played with self-effacing dorkiness by Kyle Marvin of “The Climb,” who is doing the driving. In contrast, Ashley, played by the always great Adria Arjona of the recent “Andor,” begins to try to get a little frisky with him. They are about to head off to their friends for some time away, but there is the sense that the excitement has faded from their partnership (the attempted handjob being a way of getting it back).
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Without giving away what precisely happens, as it’s a genuine jolt of black humor that benefits from the surprise, a disaster on the road makes Ashley realize how fragile life is. Thus, she decides to ask Carey for a divorce. He’s shocked and grows even more so when she pulls out a letter she’d written to tell him. Before she can finish, he panics and takes off on foot, legging it all the way to the beachfront house of their friends, another couple, to try to figure out what just happened.  
It’s there that he talks with Paul, played with pretentious smarm by the film’s writer-director Michael Angelo Covino, and Julie, played with genuine charm by a delightful Dakota Johnson in her best comedy performance since “Madame Web,” who tell him the key to their relationship is that they keep it open. Either can sleep with other people, and it won’t impact their relationship or their life raising a young son together. At least, that’s what it’s meant to be in theory. However, as we soon see, this supposedly foolproof solution is full of holes that will cause everything to fall even further apart. Split into multiple parts marked with the rules meant to govern the open relationship, “Splitsville” goes off the rails in increasingly entertaining fashion, with every single part offering something new and unpredictable. It’s a film of well-crafted jokes that are based in character and a willingness to more than go for broke when needed. 
There is a massive brawl, with stunts that would make John Wick blush, which keeps building on itself in magnificently absurd fashion. We get a recurring gag where Carey, after convincing Ashley they could try out an open relationship as well, then proceeds to befriend all her new partners, inviting them over for movie nights and other gatherings. Still with me? There is also a small detail surrounding Paul continually referencing the price of things, an annoying way of his asserting his value through his wealth, that takes a turn when you realize how this too was a sign of a looming catastrophe. In a lesser film, the decadence of wealthy characters could prove distancing, as grounding comedy in rich people’s problems can be exhausting if not done well. However, that thankfully never happens here because of how it upends this dynamic.
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All these elements sound like they could be in a full season of a comedy show, but “Splitsville” packs them all into one feature that remains light on its feet as it dances between different gags without ever feeling overstretched. While all the cast is excellent, Arjona and Johnson hold it all together. The former is just such a magnetic screen presence who, as was proven in the recent “Hit Man,” can hit all the comedic and romantic notes without missing a step. Equally as good, though more understated, Johnson proves that, despite somehow still being underrated as a performer, she’s got the comedic chops. The fact that the film ensures all of them get their moments and lets them play to their strengths is a thing of beauty to witness. 
The only thing holding it back ever so slightly comes in how it drags before the ending, and you’re left wondering how it will bring everyone back together for a grand finale. Thankfully, the film silences any doubts with a conclusion that brings out yet more jokes it had in the chamber, one surrounding a mentalist that is so silly and stupid that it’s genius, and hits every target with ease. That it then becomes sweet after all the silliness is something that is a testament to just how solid everything was on a character level in building to the end. If more comedies had one iota of the charm, cleverness, and confidence of “Splitsville,” cinema itself would be better for it. [B+]   
Splitsville comes to theaters in the U.S. on August 22.
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