Alimony Aches: When Divorce Isn't Quite Over

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for the kind of frantic, black-and-white comedy that relies on people yelling in rooms, Alimony Aches might hit the spot. It’s for folks who enjoy Andy Clyde’s specific brand of bewildered indignation. If you prefer your comedies to have actual jokes rather than just people running around in circles, you’ll probably hate it.

The premise is simple enough. The ex-wife remarries but stays quiet about it just to keep those sweet, sweet alimony checks rolling in. It’s a premise that feels like it could be a scene in The Old Soak or maybe a footnote in a larger story like Happiness, but here it’s the whole show.

Andy Clyde spends most of the runtime looking like he just stepped in something unpleasant. His face is a roadmap of confusion. It’s honestly kind of impressive how he keeps that level of high-strung energy up for the whole thing. Is he tired? I’m tired just watching him.

The rhythm of the thing

The movie doesn't have a middle, really. It just has a series of loud interactions that escalate until everyone is shouting. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Heir to Trouble, but with less charm and more paperwork. There's a moment where a door opens and closes, and I’m pretty sure the same piece of furniture is used for three different rooms.

• That one background extra who clearly has no idea where he's supposed to be standing.
• The sound mixing is… something else. It pops and cracks like a bowl of cereal.
• Andy Clyde’s eyebrows deserve their own credit in the cast list.

It’s not trying to be Mannequin or anything high-concept. It’s just a low-stakes domestic headache blown up to fill a screen. Sometimes the pacing hits a wall, and you just watch the characters stand there while the camera lingers. One reaction shot goes on for so long I started checking my own watch to see if I’d fallen asleep.

There is a weird, frantic pace to the dialogue that makes it feel like everyone is reading their lines at double speed. Maybe they were trying to beat the clock? I don't know. It’s not profound, but it’s definitely something. 🤷‍♂️