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Review of “Sometimes in Life”

Sometimes in Life is an entertaining, well made, decidedly indie film that, despite being set in the present, has an undeniable 90s vibe. The story of a drifter who has just lost his father and a young lesbian who suspects foul play from her partner; it’s an unlikely buddy movie with a sweet, uplifting core.

Jill (Sara Stepnicka) is a fashion designer with a hot blond girlfriend, Adrianna (Gunhild Giil), a gorgeous house and a cute dog. But not all is happy in domestic-ville — Jill suspects that Adrianna is being unfaithful. There’s trouble in paradise even in the first scene, where Jill wants a bit of a friendly wake up and Adrianna isn’t having it. Later on, she tries to kiss her girlfriend in the supermarket, only to get a cold diss. As Jill sews one day, she sees a commercial for a local “heartbreak” investigator (kind of like a private investigator who films all the drama), and gets a few ideas.

Jill and Adrianna’s relationship is tumultuous, to say the least, and the fact that Jill is willing to call a PI on her partner doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. They are, however, very hot together and their occasional love scenes all but set the screen on fire.

Meanwhile, our other lead is attending to his father at his deathbed. Rob (Eric Morrison) is silent while the rest of his family mourns. Later, we see him hanging out at home, eating junk food and smoking. He looks to his right and finds a new painting on the wall; a fat slug surrounded by junk — the latest of his best friend/roommate Jason’s creations. It’s an amusing harbinger of things to come.

Jason is an eastern philosophy-loving artist who lives clean as can be, and he’s there for his buddy through the grieving process. But when Rob doesn’t come out of his stupor, Jason decides to take action, forcing his friend to eat right, exercise, and start taking photos, encouraging Rob to re-discover his passion. It’s also a way for Rob to get over his dad’s passing, as Rob Sr. was a photographer and left a number of cameras to his son.

This section of the film is great fun, once poor Rob is feeling up to Jason’s “challenge.” Jason is inherently likeable; an artistic soul who spouts all sorts of wisdom and hides behind a smile that makes one wonder whether he believes half of what he says. He’s charming and kind, while Rob is likeable in his own, stubby way. He’s a funny, lovable loser with a self-deprecating sense of humor and no idea where to go from here.

On one of the first days of the challenge, Jason wakes his buddy with a bullhorn and forces him to go for a run in the park, and then to “take pictures from the heart.” In the process, Rob meets Jill, and the two strike up a conversation. Aside from the usual straight guy flubs like not believing she’s a lesbian at first, they hit it off. Rob agrees to take photos at her next fashion show. A friendship is born that runs the course of the film, through Rob dealing with his own issues, and Jill’s drama with her girlfriend.

Their relationship is actually very sweet and enjoyable — at least, when he isn’t inadvertently insulting her. He definitely makes a few eye-rolling straight guy comments that we’ve all heard before (especially when suggesting that Jill give him a shot, sexually), but he does come through for her and always apologizes for his missteps. He comes across as a good guy, perhaps a misguided one, but a worthy friend, nonetheless.

In fact, it’s a bit refreshing to see a lesbian-straight guy friendship in a film. Lesbros never seem to get much screen time, compared to the excess of straight woman-gay man friendships (also known by that colorful, rhyming slang name) that seem to pop up all over TV and film.

For her part, Jill participates in Rob’s renaissance as well, and she really comes into her own when she confronts Adrianna about her weird behavior. She’s a feisty character who knows what she wants in life, but isn’t always sure how to go about it. Rob’s honesty appeals to her, especially because she may be dealing with a lying girlfriend and dishonest friends.

The film is set in present-day America, but there is something incredibly reminiscent of the indie films of the 1990s in the air. The music, the cinematography, and even the breezy treatment of friendship and drama feel almost like something akin to Reality Bites or Boys on the Side. It’s sunny and friendly, and even includes a “screaming on the car ride home” scene that could’ve easily slipped the cutting room floor 15-20 years ago.

Shot with distinctly indie sensibilities, and well acted, it certainly succeeds as an unlikely buddy movie. The only weak spot is some of the writing — Jill and Rob’s first meeting has one too many here’s-a-deep-thought lines that cut away from his appealing honesty and feel entirely staged, despite the solid acting. Similarly, some of Jill’s moments with Melanie, the aforementioned TV PI, feel a bit awkward and out of place in an otherwise low-key movie. It’s a bit of an ineffective plot line that doesn’t really go anywhere.

Thoroughly pleasant, often very funny, and just as often rough around the edges, Sometimes in Life is a worthy lesbian-centric distraction. It earns points for steering away from clichés and focusing on two very likeable main characters, and loses a few for the uneven script. It’s worth a watch, especially if you have a favorite “lesbro” around for movie night.

Sometimes in Life is available on DVD from Artizical Entertainment.

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