The Baltimorons

The Baltimorons is the first solo directorial effort from Jay Duplass since his Mumblecore classic The Puffy Chair in 2005. Since then, he and his brother Mark have become prolific film and television producers, directing and writing myriad dual projects. This low-key effort has the same charm as Jay Duplass’s earlier film, but without his brother’s loose, improvisational style. In this feature, Duplass collaborated on a script by comedian, writer, and actor Michael Strassner, who undertakes his first film role. Duplass knows how to keep performances easy and natural, and together they have created a charming romantic comedy about a depressed comedian who falls for a female dentist.
The film opens with Strassner, as Cliff, attempting suicide, which goes farcically wrong. The scene, based on a real-life experience, serves mainly to establish an initial tone of desperation. The Baltimore odyssey begins in earnest when Cliff has a breakdown at a family Christmas Eve party. A middle-aged divorcée named Didi is the only available dentist who is willing to help. When he finally leaves the dental office, Cliff discovers his car has been towed. Didi, played by Liz Larson, offers him a ride to the tow lot, which is closed. That triggers a night of unexpected challenges and burgeoning romance in Baltimore. Didi, small and tough, makes for an amusing contrast to Strassner’s hefty wisecracking comic. This is an apt pair for a low-budget indie romcom.
Over the course of a single night, Cliff bumbles through various adventures, eventually ending up on the stage he promised his fiancée he would avoid. His earlier drinking problems stem from hanging out at too many late comedy nights; his problems with alcohol eventually got him fired by his former theater group, “The Baltimorons.” Coerced by the crowd to perform an improv, Cliff brings the reluctant Didi on stage for an awkward sketch about a dentist’s office. That scene evokes the breezy ambiance the Duplass brothers are known for — a gentle humanity that is nurtured by the chemistry between the two leads.

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