Movie Review: 'Vanilla' is a Charming and Funny Modern Romance

Writer-Director Will Dennis’s debut feature, Vanilla, displays a filmmaker and star with a strong voice and presence who is still finding himself. Awkward, and often uncomfortably so, Vanilla is an attempt to update the romantic comedy to something modern while maintaining many of the beloved elements that make audiences love romantic comedies.

Vanilla stars writer-director Will Dennis as Elliott, a would-be app entrepreneur. Elliott’s dream is financial independence with an app he’s developed for an ice cream delivery service. He’s seen early on in the movie, trying and failing to explain how his app will revolutionize the world of online ice cream delivery. Elliott is desperate to stay afloat with his new venture and decides to pay for upgrades to the app by selling his ancient van.

The van is the catalyst for Elliott to meet Kimmie (Kelsey Baumann-Murphy), a free spirited pizza shop employee and budding stand-up comedian. Kimmie has been assigned to buy the van that will be turned into a pizza truck by her former uncle, Sal (Eddie Alfano). Unfortunately, circumstances conspire to have Kimmie buy the van and then need to immediately sell it back to Elliott, which he refuses.

Not being a terrible person however, Elliott has a solution. A friend called just after Elliott sold the van to Kimmie to say that a movie she was working on needed a van just like his. The movie is shooting in New Orleans. Kimmie proposes that the two drive down to Nawlins together. She posits that it is so he can protect her on the road. The reality is that she kind of likes Elliott and his fumbling attempt to ask her on a date.

Both Elliott, and Kimmie have secrets that will be important to the plot as it unfolds and I will leave you to discover them. The strength of Vanilla however is not in an overly clever plot. Rather, what is good about Vanilla is rooted in a pair of charming characters and a strong sense of comic timing. The traditional elements of a romantic comedy are present in these two lovely characters, and some appropriate and not-so appropriate humor.

Vanilla has the twin influences of Nora Ephron and Judd Apatow. But with a modern, technological twist. Elliott and Kimmie’s obstacles are rooted in the modern economy and their very different ways of approaching their issues. Again, I don’t want to be overly specific. Kimmie’s secret is central to the movie and revealing it would be going way too far into spoiler territory.

How that secret is addressed is messy and awkward and well played by Dennis and Bauman-Murphy. These are two performers with an excess of comfort with each other. Their chemistry feels lived in and strange, perfectly appropriate to a pair of attractive and distinct people getting to know each other under unusual circumstances. Occasionally, Vanilla drifts into cringe territory instead of merely awkward and, for the most, part, these two wonderful actors pull the movie back on track.

All of that said, I do need to say that I had some issues with the deeply awkward and highly cringe-inducing ending. The final moments of Vanilla drift into territory that writer-director Will Dennis does not handle well. It’s confrontational and harsh and yet, as played by Dennis and Bauman- Murphy, the intention is seemingly uplifting. That did not land well for me. I was not uplifted by the implications of the ending of Vanilla.

The ending of Vanilla does not ruin the movie. All that comes in the first two acts, and most of the 3rd act reveals, are handled well enough. Bauman-Murphy in particular is delightful as an authentic and odd young woman. She’s not your typical Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Bauman-Murphy’s Kimmie has no interest in being a man’s salvation. She’s fully her own and her spirit carries the dramatic and romantic weight of Vanilla.

Vanilla is now available on most streaming services for rental as of April 28th, 2020.