Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought this was Chick Flick Reviews’ first take on erotica. Nope.

Good Dick is simply a quirky love story about a homeless video store employee, “man” (the nameless main character, played by Jason Ritter), who begins stalking a socially awkward “woman” (Marianna Palka, also nameless) who comes in daily to rent adult films.  Soon, “man” begins doing some seriously creepy stuff to get “woman’s” attention.

But this plot lacks that initial overwhelming amount of trust that most sappy love stories display. And that’s a good thing. What I mean is: normally when a strange guy asks a girl out on the big screen, after a short while, she accepts. Even though she doesn’t really know him.  And he is a stranger. And he could be dangerous.

Here, “woman” does what any sensible girl would do if a stranger came to the door, and insisted on entering her apartment… she pulls a knife on him.

Though she eventually grows to trust him, an issue from her past – the reason she is so introverted and distant – begins to complicate their “romance” (in quotes because their relationship is so atypical and difficult to label).  For the first half of the movie, viewers are left wondering exactly what is causing her neurotic behavior, with only subtle hints.  She has a wealthy father. She doesn’t have a job.  She may have been molested in some way as a child.

The two protagonists form a painfully interesting bond, spending time together each day.  They eat dinner and watch adult films together, and they sleep in the same bed but never sleep with each other.  They are together for the sake of being together – to overcome loneliness, and to just have someone else around.

I read a few reviews that said this was one of the weakest films at Sundance last year, but I disagree.  I really liked this movie and I don’t exactly know why. It has that “realist” quality, similar to Away We Go, allowing viewers to really relate to the characters.

I find the omitted names to be a bit obnoxious, and not just because I had to write this review by using the words “man” and “woman” in quotes.  It seems like an overdone independent movie metaphor, screaming out, “we want to be different” or, “think about it…these characters could be anyone!”.

Overall, I think Good Dick has a decent balance of delicate humor and somber undertones. It’s also charmingly ironic, because there is very little sex in it at all.  This is the first real thing we have seen from Marianna Palka, who wrote and starred in the film, and my conclusion has two parts:

1. She reminds me of a severely strung out Kristen Stewart (at least at the beginning of the film).
2. We will probably see more of her very soon.

I definitely recommend renting Good Dick if you are in the mood for a deep but intriguing love flick.

(Haha).