Say Goodnight (2008)

Writer/director: David VonAllmen
Rated: R (language/sexuality)
Cast: Aaron Paul, Carly Pope, Rob Benedict, Shannon Lucio, Christopher Gessner, Smith Cho, and David Monahan.

Say Goodnight follows four buddies recalling the beginnings of which three of them found the so-called loves of their lives. The result is a blend of raunchiness, laugh out loud humor, and surprisingly realistic relationship situations.

First time writer and director David VonAllmen crafts a pleasant and sexy romantic comedy in a genre that seems to offer less and less originality these days. While the story behind Say Goodnight is nothing incredibly original, it’s still well executed, nicely acted, and most importantly it’s very funny!

The group of friends are the stereotypical sex-hungry twentysomethings. Two of which are on the prowl for some hot tail, so much to the point that they make a bet to see who can sleep with a list of women of different ethnicities. Another guy is already in a relationship, albeit a dissatisfied one. Then we have the man telling the story, Bernard (David Monahan), a lone schoolteacher just there for the story. The blend of personalities makes for great comedy and keeps things interesting.

There are a few familiar faces, such as Rob Benedict (Waiting; Still Waiting) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) who were both outstanding in this film as Leroy and Victor, respectively. Christopher Gessner, who I’ve previously never seen before, also did great in his role as playboy Mason. Then we have the female cast. While I’m a proponent of casting normal looking women in films, I can’t complain about the absolutely gorgeous chicks in this movie. Pope, Lucio, and Cho play the three beauties that fall spell to the gents’ charm who I really hope to see more of in the future.

Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen these days. Most fail to be original or have any kind of interesting story or characters. Say Goodnight may not be the most original one to come out lately, however it’s definitely better than some of the recent titles that have been given wide mainstream releases. It’s filmed nicely, well written, and full of a talented and fun cast. To top it off, the relationship scenarios, though some parts raunchy and cliché, are believable and relatable.

I found myself constantly laughing out loud and relating to the characters. If you’re looking for a good romantic comedy to watch with your partner, pick this one up and have a night in instead of taking a risk on the next cheap blockbuster that puts all the funny scenes in the trailer.
IMDb/trailer | Official site