"Emoticon ;)" is the story of a young woman who is living in NYC, working on her thesis, involved with a man twice her age, trying to connect with his adopted kids, and dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. If that seems a little too much to juggle, you're right. While the film is earnest in its attempt to tell each of these stories, it's too much to get a handle on. Livia De Paolis plays the central character, Elena. She is also the film's writer and director and seems to have spread herself too thin which comes through in the storytelling.

The title refers to Elena's thesis, which is a study in modern communication. She seeks to understand the changing landscape of social media and interaction, which her thesis advisor Hannah (played by Carol Kane) initially likes but soon complains that Elena is incapable of communicating "the old fashioned way". It is an interesting source of tension for the story but it is drowned out by the concurrent story lines. While working on her thesis, Elena, also tries to solve the problems of her boyfriend Walter's (Michael Cristofer) adopted kids.

At the same time she finds out that she is pregnant with a baby that she wants but her boyfriend Walter does not. Walter believes he is done raising children and is too old to be a new father and Elena cannot seem to find any support. The outcome of this story seems like a cop out, avoiding deeper, more interesting resolutions in favor of an easier and cheaper one. While there is an overabundance of melodrama in the film, it creates some truly touching moments for the actors to shine in.

Overall the film is a pleasant, if familiar, experience. The titular premise of the movie is underserved but the performances make up for it.  De Paolis shows a lot of promise as a filmmaker and her next production will hopefully bear that out.