'The Baltimorons' spotlights Baltimore's beauty, resilience, and a quirkiness that only locals know

"This week, I had the pleasure of attending the Baltimore premiere of a new offbeat romcom, The Baltimorons. To put it plainly: The film is magic, the kind that can only happen when there's a deeply honest story being told over a backdrop that also, somehow, manages to tell its own story at the same time. Strassner and Larsen? Epic chemistry. Baltimore? Hardly a third wheel, but a star in its own right."

"Cliff is six months sober when he loses his tooth on Christmas Eve, and ends up spending the entire day with Didi (Larsen), the only dentist who will see him. A series of hilarious and inconvenient happenings result in him taking her to an improv event, where he performs his skit, "The Baltimorons." It's not the only time in the film when our city's endearing (cringe?) accents were showcased."

"Much of the plot-a man's struggle with addiction and wavering mental health-was pulled from Strassner's own life. The actor co-wrote the film with director Jay Duplass (who got to hear from me, in a possibly slightly intrusive moment on Wednesday, that I am in fact his biggest fan-but that's neither here nor there). Strassner has been as vulnerable as his character, Cliff, in interviews leading up to the film's release, opening up about a past suicide attempt-a moment recreated in the film's opening scene."

The Baltimorons is an offbeat romcom set in Baltimore during Christmastime. The story draws from Michael Strassner's life, centering on a man's struggle with addiction and wavering mental health. Strassner co-wrote the film with director Jay Duplass. The protagonist, Cliff, is six months sober when he loses a tooth on Christmas Eve and spends the day with Didi, the only dentist who will see him. Humorous and inconvenient events lead Cliff to an improv event where he performs the skit The Baltimorons. The film recreates a past suicide attempt in its opening scene. Lead actors exhibit strong chemistry, and Baltimore functions as a vivid, star-like setting emphasizing resilience and emotional honesty.

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