It’s easy to assume what type of movie you’re getting when you hear a title like Love, Brooklyn. The two main subjects are right there in the name, but while this may come off as a love letter to its city or a series of adorable meet-cutes in the concrete jungle. Cute, this is not. The comma in the title feels appropriate, emphasizing its biggest strength and weakness. Love, Brooklyn is about the growing complications of love amongst three Brooklynites who navigate the tricky waters of casual relationships, while our male lead Roger (Andre Holland) observes his changing city, feeling a sense of loss for what was and works to appreciate what he’s gained.

There is a thesis his character provides, namely toward the end of the film, that feels appropriately built up. He’s a magazine writer, who spends most of the film procrastinating an editorial, and after a series of emotional ups and downs, he is able to get it all out. It is a standout scene. However, it somehow feels detached from the rest of the story, leaving much of Love, Brooklyn feeling like competing ideas for one film.

There is a snappy quality to the first half that feels too charming to ignore. Produced and funded by Steven Soderbergh, director Rachel Holder and writer Paul Zimmerman craft a very watchable, sunny, loose and fun romance. The back half succumbs to shagginess, yes, but the majority of what’s here works when its focused on these balancing relationships. What seems at first like an affair, we come to realize that Roger’s flirt-filled dates with the woman who feels like his soul mate, his ex (maybe not his ex?) art-gallery owner Casey (Nichole Beharie) are of no consequence to his relationship with Nicole (DeWanda Wise), his “more” steady (not still not defined “steady”) partner, who doesn’t seem interested in defining anything truly serious with Roger, and is still sore from the loss of her prior husband. In the middle of their situationship is Nicole’s young daughter Ally (Cadence Reese), who struggles to determine is Roger is just “mommy’s friend” or “a new father figure in her life”, perhaps emotionally wanting both, but definitely needing one or the other.

We get a few enjoyable conversational beats with outside characters played by Roy Wood, Jr., Jack Haven, and others to help carve out a unique little ensemble that adds fun excuses for these main characters to question their own moralities, and get perspective outside their intimate bubble. In terms of both building out these complex characters and giving them dynamic conversations to have, it is a well-written script, one that pops even more because the chemistry of the three leads is off the charts, particularly between Holland and Beharie. When it’s focused on being a relationship drama, it’s a damn good one.

Where it struggles is tying its themes together, but by then, it’s hard not to still be emotionally invested in what decision they end up making between each other. Love, Brooklyn had the elements to be a stand-out in the romantic (comedic?) genre, but settles for something a bit more low-key, though still enjoyable. Something that feels desperate to ask big questions, but gives small answers. But often is the case with love, sometimes it’s not so easy to have an answer to anything at all.