Overview: This groundbreaking animated feature, My Love Affair With Marriage, follows Zelma (Dagmara Dominczyk, HBO’s Succession) who navigates through a series of romantic encounters, each one shaping her understanding of love and marriage.

With unflinching honesty, she grapples with the conflicting forces of passion and disillusionment, her own desires, fears, and insecurities, painting a raw and intimate portrait of the human heart.

From acclaimed writer / director Signe Baumane (Rocks in My Pockets) along with an amazing voice cast that includes Matthew Modine (Stranger Things, Oppenheimer), Cameron Monaghan (Showtime’s Shameless, The Giver) and Stephen Lang (Avatar), this award winning film features striking visuals, poignant storytelling and a cinematic experience that will linger in the hearts and minds of viewers long after the credits roll.

Blu-ray Verdict: In truth, it’s hard to describe the movie to someone used to American cinema. It is about deep introspective feelings, reminiscent maybe of Pixar, but without the happy happy, joy-joy animation style and forced funny dialogue.

The story of an Eastern European girl growing up from childhood and then through several marriages, she slowly learns to understand and accept herself and others.

It is partially a musical, but only in the context of the story and the songs themselves convey information and are not a platform for someone to flaunt choreography or voice talent. The style of the animation is simplistic, but without the obligatory bits of craft that are there to show the animation was intentionally and meta-artistically simple, because they could have done a lot more.

There are important parts about being a bit (or a lot) different from others, but it’s never a fist down your throat situation blaming society or the system for one’s personal predicament or treatment from others. The story is realistic and deeply meaningful, but without the overt intention of manipulating your feelings.

In fact, when something relevant happens, here comes a narrator device to explain the neurological and hormonal mechanisms that led to infatuation or some specific response to a specific situation. And it’s real science, not some colorful circles and arrows with dumbed down explanations from a happy voice. It’s a feminist movie, without it being misandrist.

In short, well, I hope you can tell that I loved it! It’s smart, poignant, well done, purposeful at all times. The story is probably more accessible to middle-aged people, but if a kid can grasp the concepts there, it would be a gold mine of education, as well. More people should see more films like this. Watch it today, I implore you all! [S.R.]

Bonus Features:
Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Presents Director Signe Baumane on the Making of My Love Affair With Marriage
Original Theatrical Trailer
Optional English, Spanish, French and Latvian Subtitles

Official Purchase Link