Person to Person (film) explained

Person to Person
Director:Dustin Guy Defa
Cinematography:Ashley Connor
Editing:Dustin Guy Defa
Distributor:Magnolia Pictures
Runtime:84 minutes[1]
Country:United States
Language:English

Person to Person is a 2017 American drama film directed and written by Dustin Guy Defa. The film stars Michael Cera, Tavi Gevinson, and Abbi Jacobson.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2017. It was released on July 28, 2017, by Magnolia Pictures.

Plot

During a day in New York City, a reporter trains a new employee while covering a story about a possible murder where a watch repairman may have important information; a record collector finds a rare piece of vinyl; two brothers track down their sister's ex-boyfriend who posted nude pictures of her online, and a questioning teenage girl explores her feelings when she kisses a boy.

Production

Defa wrote and directed the 2014 short film Person to Person, which starred his former roommate Bene Coopersmith and was shot on 16mm film.[2] Defa adapted the short into a feature, which was originally titled Human People, and was announced on December 3, 2015, with principal photography to take place in New York City.[3] It was photographed on 16mm film.[4]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2017.[5] Shortly after, Magnolia Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film.[6] It was given a limited release on July 28, 2017.[7]

Critical reception

Person to Person holds a 52% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 46 reviews, with a weighted average of 4.93/10. The site's consensus reads: "Person to Persons moments of insight and absorbing character development are scattered among an aimless, disjointed narrative".

Christy Lemire from RogerEbert.com gave the film 1.5/4 stars, noting "Various characters populate “Person to Person,” but they rarely register as actual people. And while some of their storylines intersect throughout the course of a day in New York, they rarely connect in ways that have actual meaning."[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Printable Film Guide. Sundance Film Festival. December 13, 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220174451/http://www.sundance.org/pdf/film-guide/SFF17_FilmGuide_Web_Dec12.pdf. 2016-12-20.
  2. News: Kohn . Eric . Tragedy, Neurosis, Sundance: The Long, Strange Journey of ‘Person to Person’ Director Dustin Guy Defa . 21 March 2023 . Indiewire . 20 January 2017.
  3. News: A. Lincoln. Ross. Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson & Tavi Gevinson Join ‘Human People’; ‘Big Bear’ Wraps With Pablo Schrieber & Adam Brody. December 5, 2015. deadline.com. December 3, 2015.
  4. Web site: Person to Person (2017). Rotten Tomatoes. August 10, 2020.
  5. Web site: 2017 Sundance Film Festival: Competition and Next Lineup Announced. Sundance Film Festival. November 29, 2016. November 30, 2016.
  6. Web site: Magnolia Pictures Acquires Dustin Guy Defa’s ‘Person To Person’. Deadline Hollywood. Amanda. N'Duka. March 24, 2017. March 25, 2017.
  7. Web site: 40 Films to See This Summer. The Film Stage. April 18, 2017. April 18, 2017.
  8. Web site: Lemire. Christy. Person to Person movie review (2017) Roger Ebert. 2020-07-05. www.rogerebert.com. en.