Textuality 2011

In the opening credits, Breslin Jason Lewis and Erin Anna Cyzon reveal a fragile romance that starts with almost no sound, save for a soulful Ray Charles tune that lingers as their story unfolds. The film sketches a world where every phone is a Blackberry and every moment seems to be posted or texted, illustrating a culture where communication is nonstop and distraction is the norm.

Breslin Jason Lewis is a financial adviser who is feeling the pressure. His job is on the line if he loses one more client, and his boss Kara looms large as a potential threat. Six months earlier, Breslin and Erin were meant to marry, but something went wrong, and since then he has kept a revolving door of relationships with different women. He dates a waitress named Heather and an art teacher named Dina Kristen Hager, who asks for a higher level of commitment while Breslin navigates the risk of losing everything he’s built.

Simone Carly Pope is an artist who runs a blog called “Simone Says” and fiercely refuses to sell her paintings, leaving audiences to wonder how she sustains herself financially. She is the creative center of her world, and she is dating four men at once. She is connected to the art world in other ways too: Dina Kristen Hager is her art teacher, adding a layer of tension and mentorship to the mix. Simone’s dynamic with Breslin begins as a wary, tense flirtation—she dislikes texting, while Breslin would rather speak on the phone—yet there is a clear, magnetic attraction that hints their relationship will be more meaningful than any of Breslin’s other entanglements.

Clive Eric McCormack has money and is drawn to Simone, fueling a web of desire and competition. Marcus Shane Nicely is an NBA player who brings a contrasting mix of charm and bravado to the scene, while Colin Kristen Holden-Ried is depicted as a less successful presence—a band member who doesn’t quite fit in with the more polished crowds. Jacob, who must call his mother to pick him up and who battles a germophobic streak, adds a quirky counterpoint to the group’s dynamics. He, unlike the others, doesn’t have a clearly labeled actor in the cast information provided, so his presence remains as plain text here.

Throughout the film, Breslin’s closest ally appears to be Mike, a wealthier, inherited-rich friend who seems to shape Breslin’s choices and help determine whether he can keep his job and avoid a firing. The story even threads Mike’s life into everyday scenes—visiting a grocery store, witnessing Mike’s questionable newspaper deliveries, and a senior bowling league moment—to illustrate just how entangled money and friendship can be in this circle. Yet Mike’s involvement is not always straightforward, and the balance of power between friends and lovers shifts with each scene.

Despite these parallel stories, the film keeps a singular throughline: Breslin and Simone’s evolving relationship. Their rocky start—where mutual curiosity replaces initial skepticism—tests whether their connection can outgrow the distractions of their surrounding relationships. Will Breslin and Simone’s bond prove strong enough to withstand the other commitments they’re juggling? And how will the rest of the relationships—Dina’s demand for commitment, Clive’s wealth-driven fascination, Marcus’s confidence, and Colin’s band ambitions—shape the choices Breslin makes about his own future?

As the credits close, the film leaves viewers with a question that lingers like the Ray Charles melody: in a world obsessed with constant connection, what does it really take to connect with someone on a deeper, more lasting level? The characters each chase something different—money, attention, affection, or artistic integrity—but the heart of the story remains Breslin and Simone, and the possibility that genuine connection can emerge from a maze of text messages, competing desires, and imperfect pasts.