Anton Yelchin, who is known for his work in “Star Trek,” plays Brian in Victor Levin’s latest feature “5 to 7.” While New York City-based love stories have been done a number of times in contemporary film, “5 to 7” does not fall into that general category. Instead, “5 to 7” is a mature and nuanced romantic dramedy.

Yelchin explained to WSN how “5 to 7” differentiates itself from previous romantic films.

“This film is predominantly one built around archetypes,” he said. “It includes fantastical elements of bygone romance and relies on classical ideas of New York.”

There is certainly an air of whimsy to “5 to 7,” which tells the story of struggling writer Brian and his affair with Arielle (Bérénice Marlohe), the wife of an influential French diplomat. After a chance meeting on the streets of the Upper East Side, Arielle agrees to a “5 to 7” relationship with Brian — one where their contact can only fall between the hours of 5 to 7 p.m, which in French culture is typically reserved for married men to spend time with their mistresses. From the beginning, it seems as though there is little to come from this restricted liaison, but Brian and Arielle quickly learn to adapt their growing feelings for each other.

One of the film’s many strengths is that it transforms New York City into the kind of magical environment where this type of relationship could flourish. Some of the standout moments include beautiful shots of Central Park and the bustling sidewalks of Manhattan. Yelchin is the first to admit that Brian and Arielle’s relationship is anything but ordinary or even conceivable today, he is also a champion for unconventional love stories. He elaborated by commenting on the chemistry that he shared with his leading lady.

“She was so warm, kind, and giving to me during the shoot,” Yelchin said. “This, along with the camaraderie that the entire cast shared, made this experience all the more fun and fulfilling.”

Yelchin also mentioned that the film demonstrates the common romance trope of social conventions or distance keeping the couple from being truly legitimate. However, he stressed that in the case of “5 to 7,” this dynamic is explored in an interesting way.

“This is simply a film with an affair, not a film about an affair,” Yelchin said. “There is so much more that is being said in the relationship between Brian and Arielle that supersedes the circumstances of their romance. If anything, the affair itself is only a jumping off point to explore the many ways in which this movie changes the way we all look at love and relationships.”

Despite the glorification of romance in a place where cynicism is king, Levin’s “5 to 7” tenderly considers the boundaries that are created around romantic relationships. Instead of patronizing the power that love has over all that people do, he and Yelchin and Marlohe demonstrate that it does not always have to be so predictable.

“5 to 7” opens on April 3.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, April 2 print edition. Email Nora Blake at [email protected]