REVIEW: ‘Band Aid’

Three chords and a lot of truth about communication and conflict within the wonder that is marriage are packed in the delightful film Band Aid.

Band Aid centers around Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones, who also wrote and directed the film) and Ben (Adam Pally), a married couple that has hit a major rough patch in their relationship.  Not only are both unsatisfied with their professional lives, but they’ve yet to acknowledge and confront the real source of their pain as a couple. However, thanks to their therapist who advises them to find new ways to work through their issues, Anna comes up with a brilliant idea:  Since they’re both music lovers, they should start a band and turn their fights into songs.

The couple then creates a list of their biggest/most common fights and grievances about each other.  The list helps inspire their band name (Dirty Dishes, which is absolutely brilliant) and a number of ridiculously catchy songs (also written by Lister-Jones, in case you doubted her talent) that include lyrics like the direct, “I love you, but I don’t want to f*ck you, f*ck you, f*ck you.  I don’t wanna f*ck you, f*ck you, f*ck you.”  (Subtle, right?)

Lister-Jones and Pally, whether they’re swooning or are in mid-fight, have fantastic chemistry together that is truly the strength of this movie, but the supporting cast is also incredible, especially Fred Armisen, who plays Dave, Anna and Ben’s weird neighbor that ends up being the drummer in their band.  Susie Essman, who plays Ben’s mother Shirley, is also fantastic and delivers one of the most mind-blowingly truthful monologs about the difference between men and women in a heteronormative relationship in recent memory.

Sure, some may find the concept of starting a band as a form of marriage therapy a bit unrealistic, but the issues Anna and Ben face are painfully real and will hit many watching close to home.  Like a great song that beautifully cuts deep, Band Aid is a surprisingly cathartic and the perfect antidote to the typical relationship dramady.

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger. The first man she ever loved was Jack Daniel.  (True story.)