Confusions of an Unmarried Couple is the definition of independent film. It has traveled the festival circuit and won the people's choice award at the Indiana Film and Video Festival. The Butler Brothers production is written and directed by Brett Butler, who also happens to play one of the two characters in the film. The premise is simple, the style and writing is crude, but some of the emotions and ideas in the writing are surprisingly raw and complex.

Brett Butler plays Dan, a drunk, horny slob who has set up camp on his brother's couch because he discovered his fiance, Lisa, in bed with another woman. Dan has begun an extremely pathetic video diary to keep a record of his pain and obsession over his lost love. Dan represents the John Q. Public of the aging generation X set. He's lazy and gross, but he believes his thoughts on life and the world are worthy enough to be not only filmed, but accepted by Lisa and worshiped by the general public. He doesn't understand why he wants his relationship with Lisa back after she's cheated on him, so he sets out on a quest to retrieve his Sixteen Candles soundtrack album, his mattress, and the ring. While he has his possessions in mind at first, it is quickly discovered that he wants Lisa back too.

Lisa is played by Naomi Johnson, a very natural actress who was okay, but obviously needs a few lessons in inflection. When Dan surprises Lisa with his first visit in months after the break up, the style of the film switches from a personal documentary to more of a reality show style interview or confession documentary. The couple talk about why their relationship failed, the possibilities of getting back together, and the stupid things real people obsess over to no end when a relationship is over. They have some very intriguing and funny things to say about love and life in general during these confessions, but when it switches back to them arguing it's like listening to nails on a chalk board. The camera literally swings back and forth between the two so the audience feels as if its watching a tennis match, and they argue so intensely that it becomes uncomfortable, almost intrusive.

Overall, Confusions of an Unmarried Couple has all the building blocks of a good idea and a great film, but there are some blips in execution that distract from the profound things being said. So what could have been an insightful look at the way an ignored generation falls in love became what seemed more like the writer's personal vendetta against the woman or women who burned him in the past.