'Chick' flick: 'XX/XY' makes a striking directorial debut

If anyone can understand the confusing and complex relationships director and screenwriter Austin Chick has devised in his new movie "XX/XY," a college student might be the one.

As the title suggests, "XX/XY" focuses on the relationships between men and women — relationships of love, lust, confusion and pain. The film traces the intertwined lives of one man and two women, each with his or her own desires, vulnerability, fears and downfalls.

"XX/XY" opens with a scene most college students know well: a party attended by Sarah Lawrence College students in the early 1990s.

The opening scene paints a picture of the start of what would be the tumultuous and emotionally wrenching relationship between Coles (Mark Ruffalo), Sam (Maya Stange) and her best friend Thea (Kathleen Robertson).

The three end up in a drunken threesome that ends in an uncomfortable situation with Sam in tears. From there, Coles and Sam begin to foster a romantic relationship, obfuscated by the obvious sexual tension between Coles and Thea.

The awkwardness of that initial scene characterizes the entire film: The viewer spends much of the film squirming, experiencing the characters' discomfort and feeling the frustration of witnessing the "immature, sometimes cruel, and ultimately self-destructive" behavior of the main characters, Chick said.

Long silences, lies and awkward situations contribute to the viewer never able to become quite comfortable with the characters. Much of the complication of the plot revolves around sex and the way characters use sexual behavior to both hurt and feel close to one another.

Thea especially uses sex as a means to manipulate her relationships and improve her self-esteem, but both her sexual behavior and her drug and alcohol abuse only cause her to become increasingly unhappy. Eventually, Coles and Sam end their relationship, after having hurt each other with their infidelities and cruel words.

The film shifts to 10 years later, when the three friends are reunited, now older, but having learned very little in the passed time. Coles has been living with his levelheaded girlfriend, Claire (Petra Wright) for five years; Sam recently broke off her wedding engagement and Thea is married.

The connection between Coles and Sam is immediately evident, and Coles is faced with the decision of which woman to choose, the old love or the new. But the question Coles wasn't counting on is which woman in the end will choose him.

The second half of the film provides some relief from the heavy scenes of the first half. Chick lightens the script with a few comedic moments, such as when Coles asserts that, "There's no room for honesty in a healthy relationship" and when a passerby informs Coles that he didn't like Coles' movie and demands a refund on the tickets he bought for himself and his date ("She didn't like it either").

Ultimately, however, the second half of the film only reinforces the fact that the relationships between characters have matured very little, and in the end, neither Sam nor Coles seem to find peace of mind or satisfaction.

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"XX/XY" is in no way a light, entertaining movie. But Chick does achieve his goal of producing a thought-provoking film with an "examination of the things that either tie people together or tear them apart," as he described his work.

Somehow, despite a sad storyline and a series of heavy themes, Chick's script and the actors keep "XX/XY" from becoming depressing or unpleasant to watch.

The characters, while they never entirely straighten out their relationships, are still dynamic, interesting people, played by believable actors. Ruffalo, who plays the role of Coles, brings "a sense of vulnerability to a guy who might otherwise be totally unlikable," Chick said.

The film marks the early work of some young but rising talent. "XX/XY" is Chick's directorial debut and an impressive start to what should be a successful element of his career. Ruffalo, who recently received praise for his performance in "You Can Count On Me," will soon be starring alongside Meg Ryan in "In the Cut" and with Gwyneth Paltrow in "A View From the Top."

Stange, who played the role of Sam, is also in the early stages of her film career; "XX/XY" marks her first American film. Robertson, who played Thea, performed in "Scary Movie 2" and "I Am Sam" and recently landed a lead role on the FOX TV series "Girls Club." "XX/XY" opens in New York tomorrow.