Chris Evans and Alice Eve spend a night broke and with no means of transportation, in “Before We Go”. It’s Evans directoral debut, and follows the journey of two strangers stuck in New York City for the night. Starting as interrupted strangers, the two soon build a bond of trust within each other, when a night of unexpected adventure forces them to confront their fears and take control of the problems in their lives. This film is the most frustrating of one night stand’s. Right when we think our characters have grown a lot and are ready to make some changes in their lives, they are no more wiser than when the film began 95 minutes prior. There is certainly enough intrigue in Evans script, complete with the mystery of backstories within the two protagonists, as well as the on-screen chemistry between the two, without any romanticism involved. Yet it falls into the hollow halls of reptitive content, with the movie never really moving out of it’s cluttered mess, moaning about their tortured pasts. It’s a romantic genre film that really doesn’t have the traits to inject into that genre. It’s not all a miss however, as the film has some witty dialogue (especially in the opening act) that carried us through some of the more awkward moments. Alice Eve has the look of a Hollywood heavyweight, but i have yet to be moved by a performance from her. If there is one thing that Evans knows, it’s on-screen charisma. There’s a charm in his delivery that ranks him among the likes of Bogart, Gable and many others who defined the romance genre for their generation. He definitely put a lot into his performance, but a reflection on the film as a whole hit me with an epiphany. I think Evans ran into too much involvement into one film. That’s not saying that he couldn’t direct a film, but i don’t think it will be a success with a film he stars in. In giving credit to him though, the film has a nice 80’s feel, adding moody new wave sounds to a New York backdrop at night. It’s a great combination that sets the stage perfectly, even if it’s a little unbelievable that all places look as glorious as the ones shown in the film. Maybe that’s really what the movie needed; some kind of emotional dilemma. Eve gets robbed as the film begins, but there is never a sense of danger in her eyes. She opens up to Evans easily and the rest is history. Despite everything i said, i think the female audience will find enough in the handsome charms of Chris. It’s enough to distract them from the real issues plaguing the film. I wish the ending would’ve left a better taste in my mouth, but it all wreaks of wasted opportunity. This was one film that i was looking forward to, but it will easily be forgotten in under a week. “Before We Go” is a dry offering for a DVD date night in. Evans shows promise visually, but his lack of structural development from act to act leaves his first behind the camera effort elusive.

5/10