Review: People with Issues (NR)

Indie Filmmaker Dan Siegelstein’s “People with Issues” has had an interesting journey, starting as a 14-minute short that was morphed into a web series. It now finds itself a feature length film that’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

“People with Issues” is a romantic comedy that is set in Austin, Texas, the hipster capital of the US. Like any rom-com, there are men and women at play, and men and women looking for play. Each has their own distinctive backstory, and each is searching for their own definition of love. The dialogue is natural, filled with comedic elements and awkward interactions that reminded me of shows like “Seinfeld” or the lesser known but still hysterical “Mixology.” The normal issues the characters have make everyone relatable, and its part of the reason the movie works so well.

The protagonists are all thoroughly likeable, and unique in their own style and depth, a testament to the writing of Siegelstein and his team. Jack (Tanner Kalina) and Aaron (Adam Mengesha) are wannabe musicians. Together with their cartoon-drawing friend Darren (Dano Colon), they struggle to succeed with their artistic dreams and in varying degrees of success with women. Jack has commitment issues and Aaron has feelings for his best friend Jen. Darren, my favorite character, hooks up with beautiful women on a daily basis, but can’t seem to get it right with a girl he really connects with (Sarah Joy Byington).

While many of the actors aren’t easily recognized, we have seen Tanner Kalina in “Evergreen,” which won our annual Independent Film Award in 2019. Here he plays Jack, a role that challenges his acting depth. Jack is a musician, but also incredibly bashful around women, specifically Roberta (Stephanie Ard), a seemingly perfect match whom he once had relations with. While most movies display the guitarist as a sexual stud, Jack is anything but, in some very funny moments as he tries to woo Roberta.

I loved the presentation of the film, which puts a unique spin on the otherwise cliché narratives of the characters. There’s a non-linear format that sees the timeline jumping to and from the present, setting up great depth and comical interactions amongst the friends. Jack and Aaron struggle to name their band, coming up with absurd choices in a way that most of us have done when interacting with our buddies. Darren has some health concerns that send him to the brink of sanity (a short trip in his case) and his cartoonish drawings serve as placards that identify changes in the scene and/or the timeline. There are numerous LOL moments throughout the 1:40 run time, and while fairly predictable as far as rom-coms go, you’re investment in the people on screen make it an intriguing watch until the very last scene.

The look of the talent and the people they were portraying was organic, and that’s not an insult. Its refreshing to see normal looking individuals in a movie, and increases the believability that they, like many of us, seem to fail at finding love. Watching sympathetic characters like Aaron struggle to deal with his best friend getting engaged to a guy who looks like a slightly better version of him is comedic gold. Side note, I’d fall for Jen (Brooke Marie Friesen) too. Even a more repugnant person like the philanderer Darren is hysterical when he visits his doctor, consumed with the notion that he is on death’s doorstep.

“People with Issues” also features great original music by Alex Curet & Jeff Storms and Joe Rice. It has won various awards throughout its evolution, including the Best Comedy Film award at the 2013 WizardWorld Film Festival at the Austin Comic Con, Best Texas Film, Best Director, and Best Ensemble nominations at the 2014 Houston Comedy Film Festival. It’s an indie film that works to please with its realistic story and simple concept. If you like romantic comedies, it’s a great flick to watch.