Definitely trouble
Apartment Troubles was originally titled Trouble Dolls. The latter is more appropriate. The two women in the film have more issues than their New York apartment.
Jess Weixler and Jennifer Prediger can build characters – they write, direct, and star themselves. Weixler’s artistically-minded, controlling eccentric Nicole and Prediger’s reserved, often dominated Olivia are flushed with personalities. Maybe even insufferably so. Frustrating as they can be to watch, they would make fine bit parts in another film.
As a pair here, they’re broke. Their rent is late. Electricity is long since off. Neither is particularly coherent enough to grasp the severity. Nicole is especially blinded, woefully entitled as she suggests lifestyle choices as the cause. No food? Cleansing. No power? Off the grid. She won’t sell her junk art to pay bills – “It’s not finished,” she moans. Apartment Troubles insinuates a rent discount for Nicole’s ‘services’ rendered with the landlord (Jeffrey Tambor). There’s definite history.
The two women breathe awkward. They comes across as irresponsible, ditching their eviction notice for a flight to L.A. Who else would leave on an impromptu vacation to Los Angeles with $4 and no phone charger? Only these two. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels had more sense in Dumb & Dumber, only Apartment Troubles doesn’t have a quarter of the raunchy charm. It’s a soggy, downtrodden, and sullen feature, over stimulated with symbolism to poke the indie audience into prying further. Don’t bother.
It’s a soggy, downtrodden, and sullen feature, over stimulated with symbolism to poke the indie audience into prying further.
It’s a soggy, downtrodden, and sullen feature, over stimulated with symbolism to poke the indie audience into prying further.
Apartment Troubles slants toward Nicole. She’s been abandoned by rich parents – whom no one would blame. Olivia’s past is less clear. That’s a miss. Olivia has the touch of reasonable clarity, and there’s a wonder why she pairs with Nicole or even deals with her ambivalence. At a mere 78-minutes, Apartment Troubles doesn’t have the time for backstory, but will spend what it has on a bit part from Will Forte. That is not a success either.
Once in L.A., the girls room with Nicole’s aunt (Megan Mullally), a famed (and quite rich) judge of a reality talent show, sinking the film into an awkward, even uncomfortable flirtation with lesbianism. This bizarre stretch leads into the limping finish, leaving with the minimum of consequence and then by default, minimum satisfaction.
Whatever Apartment Troubles is communicating – either lashing out at a disassociation with privileged lifestyles or Millennials unwilling to break from their comfort zone to succeed – end results do not achieve the message. The film is lanky and small which is pleasant by its nature. Origins are all independent. What it does with those circumstances is ultimately minimal.
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