I happened to get the chance to watch the 2018 movie "Unlovable" from writers Charlene deGuzman, Sarah Adina Smith and Mark Duplass in 2020. I hadn't even heard of the movie, but still when presented with a chance to watch a movie I haven't already seen, I usually jump at said chance.

I didn't know anything about the movie, much less whom was starring in it. Nor did I even know what genre of movie I was in for.

Turns out that "Unlovable" was really a nice movie, and a very enjoyable movie as well. I found that the story was rather good, because it definitely felt realistic and had some very nice aspects to it. There are definitely things in here that people in the audience can relate to.

What really impressed me was the acting performances. Now, this was my first time to witness Charlene DeGuzman on the screen - or at least take notice of her. And wow, she is definitely talented, and carried the movie phenomenally with her performance. And John Hawkes was really nicely cast for the role of Jim, and he brought a lot to the movie with his performance and music, I will say that much.

"Unlovable" is a movie that sticks with you after you've seen it, given the combination of a proper and memorable storyline, but most certainly also because of some strong acting performances.

I was genuinely taken aback when I sat through this movie, and I must admit that I was really enjoying the story and the movie as a whole.

My rating of "Unlovable" is a seven out of ten stars. I can definitely recommend that you take the time to sit down and watch this movie from director Suzi Yoonessi, as it is very entertaining, enjoyable and it is actually a beautiful movie.

This is a cute, funny, honest, heart-warming, relatable film, an enjoyable 1 hour and 20 minutes. The way mental health is dealt with in this film is refreshing and realistic.

Viewers should know first and foremost that this film gets right at the heart of some topics that many find uncomfortable to even think of, let alone watch played out on screen for 80 mins. It is a (pleasantly) surprisingly frank depiction of sex in general, with a focus on specific inclinations/complulsions/hangups/etc relative to the addictive aspects of sex.

And that enough so that there was no future of international release or promos on late-night US tv. No chance of great stardom or adulation. But they did it anyway, and did it honestly, such that it (according to a similarly-afflicted friend) really speaks to the heart of the issue and how actual humans deal with it.

But, due praise given, the narrative was somewhat disjointed in presentation and the final cut a resultant disappointment to me. Not in the least because I think they poorly utilized the brilliant John Hawkes (and, yes, apologies for elevating the male role in a film that's not about him). For that matter, I found the equally brilliant Melissa Leo underutilized as well (also, not about her, I know).

While I endlessly applaud Ms. deGuzman's honesty and sheer courage to bring such a personal role to the screen as she did, I must be honest and say it did not, ultimately, work out that well.

Honest assessment is a 6/10, but I think such boldness and effort demands an extra star.

With any luck, Ms. deGuzman will be back soon with another film more complementary of her talents, and of the talents of those around her.