Floating!

Jana and Katha are bound to each other, ready to make the leap into matrimony, and committed to having a child together (with the aid of a sperm donor). Traditional preparation for this huge life transition involves, of course, bachelorette parties, and their closest friends don’t disappoint. Katha is lovingly kidnapped on her doorstep by her best friend Charlie, her brother Tobi, and her co-worker Ken, who sweep her away for two days on a fairly primitive houseboat, drinking and trading stories as they leisurely float on the water. Unanticipated and somewhat unsettling for Katha, the relative stranger Momo—the prospective willing-to-be-known sperm donor for her and Jana’s future child—is also among the entourage. Complicating matters further is Katha’s lingering attraction to Ken, a lure that becomes more enticing as the booze takes hold.

Meanwhile, back at their apartment, Jana’s friends are keeping her well pickled in drink before launching her obsessive ex-girlfriend into their party. The respective temptations of their parallel situations may prove just precarious enough to derail Jana and Katha’s imminent nuptials. Director Julia Kaiser volleys impressively between her twin narratives, channeling authentic humor, warmth, and pathos through unaffected (and largely improvised) performances, intimate handheld camerawork, and a palpably affectionate rapport with this passionate, relatable couple vulnerably suspended above the biggest decision of their lives.

— Leah LoSchiavo

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