Statistically speaking, sooner or later nearly half of marriages will end in divorce. Director Tao Ruspoli falls into that unfortunate statistic, as one half of a widely publicized breakup with Olivia Wilde. The documentary Monogamish is his form of therapy, an attempt to come to terms with painful memories. He decides to hit the road and talk to the people he meets about their views on love, the institution of marriage, and monogamous relationships. His choice of interviewees is not exactly random, but it enables Ruspoli to approach the topic from the perspectives of philosophers, psychologists, anthropologists, sexologists, lawyers and lovers. Some of the most interesting discussions are with the director’s relatives. His Italian family is clearly quite atypical—what comes out of their mouths is a surprise for Ruspoli as much as for viewers. Although the film features a lot of “talking heads,” it’s consistently riveting. Monogamish calls into question the lifestyles and traditional values promoted in contemporary culture; it provokes discussion with no attempt to judge or to determine right and wrong.
Tao Ruspoli
Tao Ruspoli, Mark Wrathall
Christopher Gallo
Tao Ruspoli, Stephanie Coontz, Christopher Ryan, Dan Savage