October tells us that romance doesn’t necessarily have to play out in the metric of song-and-dance-and-high-pitched-melodrama; that it can be low-key, and unusual, can be conducted through speaking glances, rather than words.

Barring riveting performances from its principal actors and nuggets of wry humour, this drama — with tragic undertones — crawls at a mind-numbing pace. It’s one of those films that takes pride in being pretentious, arty and hyperbolic.

Watch this film only if you want to see GenY’s most popular hero dazzle differently. Otherwise, stay away from what is decidedly like a boring arthouse movie, despite its few good points.