The title (Love & Engineering) and the premise (Is there an algorithm for love?) sounded so enticing, I knew this would be on my must-see list at Tribeca this year.
In brief, Bulgarian engineering student Atanas lives in Finland and has decided that he has found the “solution” to finding love and marriage in this crazy crazy world. He decides to share his “algorithm” with a group of test subjects – fellow male engineering students. This film is a document of that experiment.
At times the film is whimsical and noteworthy – from some statements made about women’s mating proclivities to some of the devices or “hacks” they use when going out on dates – makes it a fun watch. In viewing, one must be willing to admit that part of the laughs come at the expense of the young men, who find themselves in some rather awkward situations and respond in very unconventional ways. I direct you to the scenes with the blind dates …
At one point, however, the film veered into some unexpected drama that finds a couple of the subjects in conflict with one another. It felt a little uncomfortable to watch at times, but that is just me.
The film wraps up in a rather philosophical spirit with the one of the engineers coming to his own conclusions about unlocking the “love code.” I will leave it to you to guess this endpoint.
Photo Credit: Tribeca Film Festival
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