Breaking News: Breaking Upwards

Breaking News: Breaking Upwards
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The mood was exultant at Veranda where a party for the movie Breaking Upwards was underway after last week's IFC premiere. "I can't believe what's happening here," I heard celebrants say, even if one was the director/ writer/ star Daryl Wein's mother. But then again, mothers are big part of this startlingly fresh take on the tried and often tired genre of romantic comedy.

When the film's Zoe and Daryl schedule days off on their relationship, each of their mothers (Julie White and Andrea Martin) weigh in like a Greek chorus. As actors portraying themselves, Daryl Wein evokes the angst driven vintage Woody Allen and Zoe Lister-Jones, the spot on timing of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as each navigates New York, and the vagaries of the heart in a committed yet young and restless relationship.

That's not to be confused with real-life 20-something Zoe and Daryl whose break up story this is. With references to tweets and texts, this movie moves at the rate of the Zeitgeist. The timely subject of Love-and how to make it last- is timelessly gadget-proof. As characters, they are so appealing it comes as a relief that the story of these two NYU Tisch graduates is not over even when this very smart and funny movie is.

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