Comet (film)

Last updated
Comet
Comet (film).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sam Esmail
Written bySam Esmail
Produced by
  • Chad Hamilton
  • Lee Clay
Starring
CinematographyEric Koretz
Edited byFranklin Peterson
Music by Daniel Hart
Production
company
Fubar Films
Distributed by IFC Films
Release dates
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$6,673 [2]

Comet is a 2014 American romantic comedy-drama film directed and written by Sam Esmail. The film stars Emmy Rossum and Justin Long. The film had its world premiere at LA Film Festival on June 13, 2014. It was released on December 5, 2014, by IFC Films. [1]

Contents

After meeting by chance at a meteor shower, pessimist Dell and insightful Kimberly begin a six-year journey of a relationship. The film is shown through glimpses of parallel universes and flashbacks that are not chronologically ordered, showing the viewer the ebb and flow of their intricate relationship.

Plot

A nervous Dell, dressed in a suit, fidgets with a bouquet of flowers as he anxiously awaits an answer to his knock.

Dell flashes back six years, he's waiting in a long line in LA to get a spot in the cemetery to watch the meteor shower. Interacting with the teenager in front of him, we learn that his mother has been diagnosed with liver cancer, he works for a pharmaceutical company and is a narcissist.

Dumbstruck, like a deer in headlights by a woman's eyes, she warns him to get out the path of a speeding car. She is Kimberly, and her date's constant banter irritates Dell and soon he asks her for her number. Josh comes at him, so he backs off, but not before Dell can give him a few verbal jabs and pique her interest.

Dell flashes forward two years, where he and Kimberly are in a hotel room, preparing to attend her friend's wedding in Paris. She's frustrated as she needs their relationship to evolve to consider kids.

Back at the meteorite shower, Dell is in the dark, muttering to himself, describing her as beyond beautiful, real, perfect, funny and crazy as Kimberly bumps into him again. This time he tags alongside her, insisting they keep talking. Dell confesses that earlier, he had been telling himself aloud, ″Don't miss her,″ an example of his pessimistic foreboding of what might happen in five minutes. In contrast, Kimberly is focused on enjoying the moment, the now, as in being out in the open air under the stars. She shakes his offered hand, agreeing to trying out a relationship.

Flash forward to Paris, Kimberly is anguished thinking of their future. As he has pulled out an engagement ring and gets down on one knee, she's saying that when he says he loves her it doesn't sound genuine. He quickly stands, before she can see him, sliding the ring back into his pocket.

Forward one year after their first breakup, we see Dell stalking Kimberly, buying train tickets on the same train heading north. Timeline back to Paris, the pair are hot and then cold. Dell frantically recovers the ring after it slid out of his pocket. She asks what he's hiding, but he doesn't tell. On the train again, Kimberly grows to trust him again, shortly before he's asked to disembark halfway before the original destination.

Small snipets of a mobile phone conversation between Dell in NYC and Kimberly in LA are interspersed between the train and Paris flashbacks. He hears in her voice that she's being untruthful. She confesses she's been on and off texting with Jack, the man she'd briefly dated after their first breakup. Upset, Dell is who does the breaking up, claiming to have never loved her, trying to inflict pain. Directly afterwards, a nurse calls Dell to inform him that his mother, who he'd saved from nearly fatal liver cancer four years ago, passed away from a heart attack.

In the Paris hotel room, Dell sits Kimberley on the bed. Silencing her negative thoughts, he details the things he's grown to love about her: overusing 'so', when wisps of her hair cover her face, her eyes... Simply knowing her the best thing that has happened to him. He then, in his relentlessly narcissistic way, says it's mostly because she likes him. As he turns to get the ring, she tells him he was almost successful.

The end of the six year timeline, like the other snippets, are interspersed throughout. Piecing them together, Dell has finally responded after months of Kimberley wanting to see him. It has been a long time they've not seen one another, since before their second, over-the-phone breakup. Using his keen observational skills, he correctly guesses she's engaged to Jack, as boxes are filled of worn kitchen paraphernalia, there's a photo of them and her ring finger has recently had a ring on it.

Dell tells her about his recent dreams, a non-chronological stream of mostly past events, and says he can't imagine being able to exist in the world without her love. The film fades to black.

Cast

Production

Emmy Rossum and Justin Long joined the cast of the film in early June 2013 to play the lead roles. [3]

Filming

Filming began in mid-June 2013 in the Los Angeles area.[ citation needed ]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival on June 13, 2014. The film went on to screen at the Twin Cities Film Fest on October 22, 2014. [4] on October 28, 2014, it was announced IFC Films had acquired all distribution rights to the film. [5] The film was released on December 5, 2014, in a limited release and through video on demand. [6]

Reception

Comet has an approval rating of 44% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 32 reviews, and an average rating of 5.3/10. [7] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 52 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [8]

Variety called it a "misfire" but praised the lead performances. [9] /Film praised the film overall but criticized the main character Dell for bordering on pretentiousness, and also criticized the writing as being slightly indulgent. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> (2004 film) 2004 film by Joel Schumacher

The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 musical romantic drama film based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1910 French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. Produced and co-written by Lloyd Webber and directed by Joel Schumacher, it stars Gerard Butler in the title role, with Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver, Simon Callow, Ciarán Hinds, Victor McGuire, and Jennifer Ellison in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmy Rossum</span> American actress and singer (born 1986)

Emmanuelle Grey Rossum is an American actress, director, and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Fiona Gallagher in the television series Shameless (2011–2019). Since the mid-2010s, she has also directed and produced television, including the 2022 Peacock series Angelyne in which she also stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Long</span> American actor (born 1978)

Justin Jacob Long is an American actor. He is known for his film roles, particularly in comedy and horror films, notably appearing in Jeepers Creepers (2001), Dodgeball (2004), Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), Accepted (2006), Idiocracy (2006), Dreamland (2006), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), Drag Me to Hell (2009), Alpha and Omega (2010), Tusk (2014), The Wave (2019), and Barbarian (2022), as well as voicing Alvin Seville in the live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks film series. He is also known for his television appearances in Ed (2000–2004) and F is for Family (2015–2021). He appeared with John Hodgman in TV commercials for Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, and as himself in Intel's "Go PC" campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann</span> Multiple fragment periodic comet with 5-year orbit

73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, also known as Schwassmann–Wachmann 3 or SW3 for short, is a periodic comet that has a 5.4 year orbital period and that has been actively disintegrating since 1995. When it came to perihelion in March 2017, fragment 73P-BT was separating from the main fragment 73P-C. Fragments 73P-BU and 73P-BV were detected in July 2022. The main comet came to perihelion on 25 August 2022, when the comet was 0.97 AU from the Sun and 1 AU from Earth. It will be less than 80 degrees from the Sun from 25 May 2022 until August 2023. On 3 April 2025 it will make a modest approach of 0.3 AU to Jupiter. 73P will next come to perihelion on 23 December 2027 when it will be 0.92 AU from the Sun and on the far side of the Sun 1.9 AU from Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Logan</span> Soap opera character

Katie Logan is a fictional character from The Bold and the Beautiful, an American soap opera on the CBS network. Portrayed by Nancy Sloan for much of her duration on the series, she is currently portrayed by Daytime Emmy Award winning actress, Heather Tom. She is the younger sister of Storm, Brooke and Donna Logan. The character is known for her relationship with Bill Spencer Jr..

"Flashes Before Your Eyes" is the 8th episode of the third season of the American drama television series Lost, and the show's 57th episode overall. The episode was written by the series co-creator, show runner and executive producer Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Drew Goddard, and directed by Jack Bender. It first aired in the United States on February 14, 2007, on the American Broadcasting Company. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics. Lindelof and Goddard were nominated for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Episodic Drama at the February 2008 ceremony for writing the episode.

"The Blue Comet" is the 85th and penultimate episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos, the eighth episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, and the 20th episode of the season overall. Written by series creator and showrunner David Chase and Matthew Weiner, and directed by Alan Taylor, it originally aired in the United States on June 3, 2007, two weeks after the preceding episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meredith Hagner</span> American actress (born 1987)

Meredith Kathleen Hagner is an American actress. She began her career portraying Liberty Ciccone on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns (2008–2010), which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series in 2009. Following her departure from As the World Turns, she appeared as a series regular on the FX drama Lights Out (2011) and the TBS sitcom Men at Work (2012–2014).

"I Do Do" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 80th overall episode of the series. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by series creator, executive producer and lead actress Tina Fey. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 20, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include Elizabeth Banks, Craig Castaldo, Matt Damon, Will Forte, Susan Heyward, Kristin McGee, Julianne Moore, Paula Pell, Michael Sheen, and Jason Sudeikis.

Shameless is an American comedy drama show developed by John Wells that aired on Showtime from January 9, 2011, to April 11, 2021. It is an adaptation of Paul Abbott's British series of the same name and features an ensemble cast led by William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum. The show is set on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois.

Amy Farrah Fowler is a fictional character in the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by Mayim Bialik. Amy is a neuroscientist who is Sheldon's love interest and subsequent wife in the series. She has a PhD in neurobiology, with a research focus on addiction in primates and invertebrates, occasionally mentioning such experiments as getting a capuchin monkey addicted to cigarettes or getting a starfish addicted to cocaine. Amy goes on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside her husband, Sheldon Cooper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Ehasz</span> American television writer and producer

Aaron Gabriel Ehasz is an American screenwriter and television producer. His body of work primarily consists of animated series, including as head writer and co-executive producer of Avatar: The Last Airbender, although he did serve as a producer on the live-action series The Mullets and Ed. He is also co-founder and CEO of Wonderstorm, and co-creator of the Netflix series The Dragon Prince. He has been involved in the video game industry, having served as creative director at Riot Games.

This page lists only acting roles and other projects undertaken in film, television and theater in the post-Idol career of American Idol contestants. It does not include guest musical performances or interviews on TV shows, or any pre-Idol work. It is also not intended to be a comprehensive list of all acting roles, appearances, awards nominated or won by any particular alum. Where there are multiple entries, only the more significant may be listed. Please see the appropriate links and references for individual alum for such more complete lists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis</span> Soap opera character

Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis are fictional characters from the American daytime drama Days of Our Lives. They are notable for the first male-male wedding in US daytime drama history, and for being Days of Our Lives first same-sex supercouple. The couple was originally portrayed by actors Chandler Massey as Will and Freddie Smith as Sonny, who brought acclaimed popularity to the pairing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Sapan</span> American television executive

Josh Sapan is a media executive who served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of AMC Networks, as well as the Executive Vice Chairman.

<i>Sleeping with Other People</i> 2015 film by Leslye Headland

Sleeping with Other People is a 2015 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Leslye Headland. The film stars Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Natasha Lyonne, Amanda Peet, and Adam Scott. Premiering at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2015, the film was released theatrically on September 11, 2015, by IFC Films. Sleeping with Other People received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>Before I Disappear</i> 2014 film

Before I Disappear is a 2014 American drama film directed by Shawn Christensen. The film is a feature-length adaptation of his 2012 Oscar-winning short film, Curfew. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest Film on March 10, 2014. The film was acquired for distribution by IFC Films on August 5, 2014, and released on November 28, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Esmail</span> American screenwriter, director, and producer

Sam Esmail is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter who runs the production company Esmail Corp. He is best known as the creator, writer, and director of the award-winning USA Network television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019), starring Rami Malek. He wrote and directed the feature film Comet (2014). He directed and produced the acclaimed Amazon Prime Video psychological thriller Homecoming (2018–2020), starring Julia Roberts and Janelle Monáe, and produced USA's Briarpatch (2020), Starz's Gaslit (2022), and Peacock's Angelyne (2022) and The Resort (2022).

<i>Between Us</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by Rafael Palacio Illingworth

Between Us is a 2016 American drama film written and directed by Rafael Palacio Illingworth. The film stars Olivia Thirlby, Ben Feldman, Adam Goldberg, Lio Tipton, Scott Haze, Peter Bogdanovich and Lesley Ann Warren.

<i>Swallow</i> (2019 film) 2019 psychological thriller film by Carlo Mirabella-Davis

Swallow is a 2019 psychological thriller film written and directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis and starring Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche, and Denis O'Hare. Its plot follows a young woman who, emotionally stifled in her marriage and domestic life, develops an impulse to consume inedible objects.

References

  1. 1 2 Gajewski, Ryan (2014-10-28). "Justin Long Romances Emmy Rossum in 'Comet' Trailer". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  2. ↑ "Comet (2014)". Box Office Mojo . 2014-12-25. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  3. ↑ "'Shameless' Star Emmy Rossum And Justin Long Lead 'Comet' Cast". deadline.com. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "Comet". Twin Cities Film Fest. 2014-09-22. Archived from the original on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  5. ↑ Dave McNary (2014-10-28). "Emmy Rossum-Justin Long Romantic Comedy 'Comet' Bought by IFC for U.S." Variety. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  6. ↑ Casey1122 (2014-12-05). "Comet (2014)". Fandango. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  7. ↑ "Comet (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  8. ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/movie/comet?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c
  9. ↑ Berkshire, Geoff (2014-06-15). "Film Review: 'Comet'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  10. ↑ Comet Movie Review Justin Long and Emmy Rossum's Surreal Romance at /Film
Drama-film-stub-icon.svg

This article about a 2010s comedy-drama film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.