Family does not always consist of the people we would select given the choice, but it’s undeniable that many of us would not trade them at any cost. Art loves family, since it’s a concept that is both universal and unique – we all know how it feels to belong to a group (whether consisting of biological relatives or those who enter our lives for a different reason), and the trials and tribulations that can come when navigating certain challenges. Noah Pritzker understands this implicitly, as it forms the foundation for his directorial debut, the absolutely wonderful Ex-Husbands, in which he tells the story of Peter, a middle-aged dentist who (when we first meet him in the initial scene, which establishes the central relationships) seems to have everything he could desire: a well-payign professional job that makes him a respected member of his community, a loving wife, two living parents (with whom he does have a good relationship), and a pair of exceptional sons, one of whom is about to be married. However, by the time we reach the second scene, almost all of this has been stripped away from the protagonist – his wife has filed for divorce, ignoring his pleas for them to work on their marriage. His mother has died, his father has been rendered almost catatonic due to a stroke, and both of his sons are severely depressed. The only remnant of the happy past is that the older of the two is still about to be married, which serves as the basis for the story, as we find Peter booking himself a trip to Tulum for a weekend, as a way to rest and escape the big city – so it only stands to reason that this trip would coincide with his son’s bachelor party, which is also taking place in Tulum, and due to factors he could not control, Peter decides to embark on his vacation with the intention to not interfere with his sons’ plans, but it doesn’t take long for them to interweave with one another, leading to many awkward and hilarious situations. A wonderfully irreverent but charming tribute to family and the ways that the bonds between us can seem loose in some moments, while being made tighter in others, Ex-Husbands is a tremendously entertaining film, filled with heart and soul and enough well-placed humour to make it a truly special achievement in both story and style.

Pritzker has been quite open about the fact that Ex-Husbands is partially autobiographical, with the inspiration for the story coming from his own parents’ divorce, which he speaks about extensively, showing how something so traumatic can be used to essentially construct incredible art, which is the foundation for many inspired pieces over the years. However, it’s not accurate to look at the film as solely a statement on divorce, because the director makes it clear that he is singularly uninterested in the actual process itself, and consistently sweeps it to the side – in fact, both of the sons in this film swiftly deviate from the topic the moment their father brings it up, making Pritzker’s stance on it abunduntly clear, which is a smart decision considering divorce itself is not always a theme that translates well to film, both narratively and in terms of the emotional content. Instead, the film becomes a family story, particularly in how our relationships ebb and flow with incredible vigour and often in inexplicable patterns. This is a story about a man attempting to accomplish two primary goals – he wants to work on himself in the early aftermath of a divorce that has clearly drained him psychologically, and he wants to reconnect with his sons, neither of which have expressed disdain for their father, but have been pursuing their own paths to the point where they simply can’t find much time for him in their daily life, which is a subject that many of us can relate to, from either perspective. Through all of this, Pritzker weaves the themes together to reflect his underlying curiosity on the subject of masculinity, which is a theme that is carefully constructed to not be simply a mocking indictment on the fragility of the male ego, nor an overly twee examination of those who defy the conventions, but quite simply the story of three generations of men as they go through life, anchored by the person in the middle who has to serve the function of being both a son and a father, consistently caught in an eternal tug-of-war with his own soul as he does his best, recovering from the failures as much as he can, but still finding it challenging to continue. It’s a very delicate set of themes that comprise this film, but Pritzker uses his own experiences to craft something extremely special.

One of the great joys of being an ardent filmgoer is the possibility of discovery – in some cases, we’re introduced to an entirely new talent that we can immediately tell has a bright future ahead of them. However, what is even more compelling is the potential for rediscovery, particularly when it comes to actors that are somewhat familiar to us as viewers, or perhaps had their peak decades ago and somehow faded into obscurity, but now return to prove that they are as sharp as ever. Griffin Dunne is a peculiar actor insofar as he has been a part of some of the greatest films ever made (simply being involved in An American Werewolf in London and After Hours is more than enough to consolidate someone as a firm part of Hollywood history), and he never entirely stopped working, but rather settled into the position of being a reliable character actor that wasn’t likely to lead another film, but rather be a welcome presence in small roles. This was until he was enlisted to play the lead in Ex-Husbands, which is about as good a starring vehicle for any actor, and one that he absolutely relishes with every ounce of commitment he has to the role. The character allows Dunne to play off his inherent charms, which are somewhere between adorable everyman and freewheeling intellectual, which he has constantly used as a foundation for many of his roles, and which has made him quite a magnetic presence. This performance highlights Dunne’s incredible skill and allows him to play a more complex character for a change, and it’s hardly a surprise that he absolutely thrived. His incredible leading performance should not distract from James Norton and Miles Heizer, both of whom hold their own, playing these equally complex characters who have to reconcile their own personal quandaries with a father who invades their space and presents himself as more of a challenge than a source of comfort and guidance for them. The trio of actors (as well as some of the supporting cast, which includes an ingenious bit of casting in the form of Richard Benjamin, who portrays Dunne’s father) all do remarkable work, and anchor this film within reality, never allowing it to become derailed by its own quirks, but also not being afraid to lean into the humour where it is required.

A film like Ex-Husbands walks such a narrow tonal tightrope, it needed a very precise vision to bring these ideas to life without making them gaudy or overly sentimental, both of which could have caused the film to lose its impact, since so much of the story is built from the execution of certain ideas. Primarily, we find that  Pritzker attempts to find the perfect balance between comedy and drama, viewing them as equally important in the realisation of these ideas. The most interesting component about this film is how it divides the tone equally – rather than viewing some subjects through a more comedic lens, and others through the use of a more dramatic tone, everything in this film is filtered through both. Death, divorce, sexuality and existential despair are shown to be fertile ground for both hilarious comedy and deeply meaningful pathos, and the way the director weaves all of this together is absolutely masterful, and indicates his extraordinary prowess as a filmmaker. In both its more lighthearted and heavier moments, the film is driven by a sense of authenticity – Pritzker was as focused on entertaining the audience as he was evoking familiar emotions, and the blend of awkwardness and heartfelt honesty is both a fundamental component behind the film’s overall success. Additionally, it evades being too overly sentimental, choosing to infuse the film with some genuinely scathing comments on masculinity and the role it plays in contemporary society, often being quite brutal to its characters as a means to eventually allow them to experience the redemption that was previously missing from their lives. It’s a fascinating approach that seems simple on the surface, but has layers that help us easily understand the extent to which the story is willing to explore the internal lives of these characters in a way that is honest and engaging, rather than being overtly one-dimensional or limited to the same set of bland tropes we usually would expect from such a story.

Ex-Husbands seems to be relatively simple at a cursory glance, and for the most part, it is exactly what we would expect, which is a major merit, since it doesn’t once promise to be anything that it cannot deliver. Instead, we find ourselves expecting something quite conventional, but then are surprised when it reveals its depth, which proves to be far more entertaining than we would have initially anticipated. It’s a wonderfully engaging, deeply moving work that feels like an artist is allowing his craft to be used as a means to experience the catharsis and relief that comes with exploring their own personal traumas and existential quandaries, all of which form the basis for quite an enthralling, captivating dark comedy that is as entertaining as it is quite moving. Anchored by an astonishing performance by Dunne, who is perhaps doing the best work of his lengthy career in playing this conflicted protagonist trying to negotiate the boundaries of his own existence, and realizing that the only path to recovery is looking internally and coming to terms with the fact that life cannot remain stagnant, and that as painful as change may be, it is entirely essential. Compelling in a way that feels far more earnest than simply another offbeat character study, Ex-Husbands is a staggering achievement in how it addresses the human condition in vivid detail. Every triumph and tragedy is found throughout this film, which forms a beautifully poetic ode to family and the importance of valuing those who populate our lives, especially when it comes to working through the pain and despair of the past, and how it can be constructive in forging a path forward. Engaging and hilarious, Ex-Husbands is an incredible film that once again proves that simplicity can be extremely effective when done well, which is most certainly the case with this film.