They Came Together (2015) - David Wain

David Wain's They Came Together is a self-aware romantic comedy that takes great pride in skewering and/or subverting every trope of the genre it can.  The story itself centers around Joel, who works for a big corporate candy company, and Molly, the owner of a small, independent candy shop, whose paths cross due to their professions.  At first the two despise each other, for obvious reasons, but amazingly they both begin to fall in love as they get to know one and other.  From David Wain, the mind behind Wet Hot American Summer, They Came Together is as wacky and ridiculous as one would expect, and while the film does at times succumb a bit too hard to its one-trick nature, the trick is elaborate and intricate in its approach, providing a lot of laughs from start to finish.  The film even begins in a very meta way, finding Joel and Molly at dinner with another couple, sharing the story of when they first met, with Molly herself even lamenting on the fact that their story sounds like something from a movie, not real life.  From there, the viewer is introduced to these characters story, where everything about the romantic comedy genre is teased and deconstructed.  From the music itself, to talks about fate and happenstance, They Came Together winks and nudges throughout its 85 minute running time with reckless abandoned.  The film may become a little one-note for some, but luckily for most, the charisma and charm of its two leads, Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd, keep the film enjoyable and full of laughs from start to finish.  Featuring a load of cameos throughout its running time, including a memorable Michael Shannon appearance towards the end, David Wain's They Came Together is a hyper-realized take-down of the romantic comedy genre that keeps the laughs coming from start to finish. 

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