For some time now, women have been splitting into two, three, 150 to take care of children, career, house, husband and, of course, themselves, sometimes in that order, forced to continue in the same body, in conditions very different to those of those who have followed paths parallel to theirs and, worst of all, without having the help of those who swear to share with them the fortune and wealth, vigor and morbidity. Relationships can become a learning experience for mature people because they reach sensitive points of less obvious emotions, and that is where “Necessary Maintenance” tries to get out of the banal and offer elements so that the public can get involved with what is told. In her first fiction feature, Lacey Uhlemeyer presents a romantic comedy that manages well the formula of rivalry that turns into courtship, also offering moments of tension that Uhlemeyer and co-writers Roo Berry and Erin Falconer resolve without much difficulty, making use of the charisma of the cast. But there is a serious embarrassment behind this good intention.

To think that there is a recipe for women and men from the most diverse backgrounds, cultures and worldviews to understand each other almost always, leaving one or another corner that the bed is responsible for rounding off is a naivety that is touching, and “Necessary Maintenance” vibrates at that frequency. Although she doesn't admit it, the director revisits “You've Got Mail” (1998), the classic romantic comedy by Nora Ephron (1941-2012), changing books into cars and replacing Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks with a couple of millennials. Here, Charlie, the owner of a mechanic shop focused on serving female drivers, has been struggling because of unfair competition against a larger establishment — and one with a larger clientele, since it welcomes everyone — on the other side of the city. Anonymously, she chats online with a man who encourages her to persevere, and anyone who's seen Ephron's film knows how that ends.

What comes next is a succession of scenes similar to “You've Got Mail” with new touches. Instead of Charlie meeting Beau, his would-be partner, in one of the many AOL chat rooms, they exchange opinions about engines and related technologies in a Reddit forum, one of the script's original insights, in addition to Rob Lord's cheerful and catchy soundtrack. Like Ryan and Hanks, Madelaine Petsch and Jacob Scipio have chemistry, but they can do little to create a narrative that is wrong from the beginning and, worse, that deceives the viewer in such a blatantly reckless way. “Maintenance Required” is well… unnecessary.

Film: Required Maintenance

Director: Lacey Uhlemeyer

Again: 2025

Gender: Comedy/Romance

Assessment: 6/1011Giancarlo Galdino★★★★★★★★★★