There’s a gentle sweetness—and some genuine laughs—at the heart of Byington’s rambling, semi-improvised look at a failed relationship, but ultimately viewers are likely to leave the theater wondering what the hell they just watched.

CineVegas 2009

Harmony and Me

Justin Rice, Kristen Tucker, Kevin Corrigan.

Directed Robert Byington

IMDb: Harmony and Me

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Less a movie than a series of vignettes, Harmony never makes good on its promise to explore relationships. And while Rice is suitably schlubby as the jilted Harmony, he’s not given much to do except react to his surroundings. Byington throws in assorted characters who are gone before we even know who they are, musical interludes that, while pleasant, are irrelevant to the “plot” and shifts into drama that sputter and thud. Worse, Harmony’s ex-girlfriend is barely a factor at all, and her few scenes with Rice have all the chemistry of a tax audit.

The film’s meandering quality reaches a zenith in the “ending,” a scene that would be a comic highlight in any other film. Here it’s the cue for the credits, which actually get in the way of a truly inspired bit featuring Nick Offerman (NBC’s Parks and Recreation) as a meter maid who likes to roleplay. You’re left laughing, but also scratching your head.