SPARRING PARTNER
by Kathryn Loggins

J.J. Kandel, USA 2022

In his directorial debut, J.J. Kandel brings a story to life about two co-workers who are on the verge of acting on the flirtatious relationship they’ve been entertaining for a while, even though the man is married. Set entirely on a park bench in fall, surrounded by beautifully turning leaves, the dialogue is the film’s true star. Written by playwright Neil Labute and starring Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live) and KeiLyn Durrel Jones (“Succession”) this play-like film truly embodies its title, SPARRING PARTNER, because the characters are more “play-fighting” than anything. Their conversation is light and quick-witted, but it's constantly dancing around the root of what they really want to say to each other. When the mood turns serious, they can finally be brutally honest with each other, and - like so many real-world relationships - the outcome is not clean or pretty. Heartbreak is inevitable, but it also leaves room for each character to discover profound truths about each other and about themselves, and deal with the consequences of their actions. (KL)