5 x 2 (2004) review

The story of a (bland) relationship that ends in divorce and disillusionment but is told in reverse order - hey, it worked in Gaspar Noé's Irréversible, so why not here? Trouble is, the reverse sequencing never transcends its function as a screenwriting gimmick and also fails to answer basic questions about the relationship, cutting out parts in-between the "major events" (marriage, birth, divorce sex) like, for example, why these two people would get married in the first place when - to me, at least - they never, at any point, seem to 'gel' as a couple (or maybe I'm being naïve and people get married just for the hell of it these days). To further complicate matters, neither character is exactly compelling to follow or connect with - both have commitment issues, and the male is particularly cruel and emotionally detached.