Will (Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords) is living an agreeably comfortable and creatively satisfying life as a husband, father, and revered comic book artist/instructor at a fancy-pants art school. His fortunes are quickly reversed when his wife, Charlie, (Stephanie Allynne) leaves him for an unprepossessing monologist, of all indignities. Will is swiftly booted from his fatherly perch in a well-appointed Brooklyn brownstone to a sad, tiny hovel in Queens, which is made even smaller when Charlie drops off their young twin daughters suddenly and indefinitely.

Will's newfound desperation reeks in the classroom, and one student, Kat (Jessica Williams), fixes him up with her mother in an effort to console him. This logical leap somehow makes sense coming from Kat, whom Williams grants a command that is reassuring and unpredictable. Her mother, Diane, played by the ever-versatile Regina King, is smart, sturdy, and gracious--and she and Will have chemistry that is both woozy and distant. The proceedings are made much more authentic by the presence of Will's daughters, who are realistically spirited yet confused by the series of events their parents keep hurling their way.

Overall, it's a movie of unusual emotional intelligence. Its characters are a realistically mottled mix of need, want, and regret. There are moments of bold articulation, but more instances of panic and kindness. Also: it's funny. See it!