Review #40: Life Partners

Release Date: November 6, 2014
Writer: Susanna Fogel, Joni Lefkowitz
Director: Susanna Fogel

Logline: Sasha and Paige's co-dependant friendship is tested as Paige gets serious with a guy for the first time. (Source IMDb) Comedy/Romance, 93min.

Bechdel Test: Passed all three tests

Review

When you think of heartbreak, it’s pretty likely that the first thing that comes to mind is the breakup of a romantic relationship. Although this may be the most talked about kind of heartbreak, it is far from being the only kind. Life Partners tackles the heartbreak that happens when your best friend gets a boyfriend – it’s that impossible frustration of being genuinely happy for your friend but also completely miserable over the fact that they no longer need you as much as they once did.

The film begins by making us all wish that we had a spirit as kindred as Sasha (Leighton Meester) or Paige (Gillian Jacobs).  They’re the kind of friends who completely understand each other – they do hilarious bits in traffic, they watch ANTM together every week and they have each other listed as “husband” and “wife” in their phones.

Then we meet Adam Brody’s character, Tim, and he pretty well ruins everything.  As Paige falls in love with Tim, she gradually starts drifting away from Sasha until all of a sudden they are barely speaking to each other anymore. 

What this film does best is capture the gradual build of poignant moments which signal that the relationship is changing.  Their friendship doesn't suffer due to one problem but rather due to little annoyances that combine into a greater issue that becomes too big to ignore. The scene that sticks with me is one where Sasha tries to engage Paige in a strategy session involving a new girlfriend and text etiquette.  Paige's newfound stableness removes any ability for her to relate to Sasha's frustration as her problems now seem trivial and irrelevant. The short scene perfectly encapsulates the disconnect between the two women but also upholds a balance of camaraderie that helps us fully understand why they remain friends despite their disdain for each other.

Although there’s nothing especially groundbreaking about Life Partners, its enjoyable performances coupled with themes that are bound to resonate with a wide range of audiences make it worth a watch.

PS. I'm on board with anyone that references Tyra Banks' "smize" which is a pretty big factor into why I liked this movie.

Portrayal of Women: Female characters greatly outnumber male characters in this movie which interestingly helps set the overall tone of the movie. Just as we barely see a man onscreen, Sasha has rarely had to deal with a man monopolizing Paige's time. It's a romcom about women whose lives have always been about women but are now being disrupted by a guy.

Paige's main problem is an overbearing need for control while Sasha struggles to gain any kind of management over her own life. Each woman must work through these issues and this in turn adds another layer of relatability to the film. Paige struggles to accept that sometimes life isn't perfect while Sasha comes to grips with the realization that dreams can sometimes change.  Paige is straight and Sasha is a lesbian which also brings different perspectives of sexuality into play. Creating these complex characters with defined problems is what solidifies this movie as one that any woman can watch and connect to.

Sisterhood Moment: Within the first few minutes, the girls say to each other, "I hate everyone except for you." I would say that's pretty well the perfect definition of besties.

Rating: 3 pairs of overalls out of 5

IMDb - Life Partners (6.1)
Wikipedia - Life Partners 
Rotten Tomatoes - Rotten Tomatoes (56%)