Life Partners

If it weren't for the biphobia in the film (the one bi/sexually fluid character is portrayed as unstable and "not gay enough" to be with), I probably would've given it a six or seven. This is far too common in media, and the stereotype is damaging.

As it was the film did portray well some of the issues of growing up and how it affects one's friendships.

I did relate to some of the issues the women went through.

It doesn't really reach very deeply though, and the ending is rather lackluster.

There was some good humor in the film, but the writing really needed polishing.

It was nice to see a mainstream film portray a non-straight main character.

Gabourey Sidibe was sorely underused as a minor supporting character.

Leighton Meester has never given a better performance. She is really, really good in Life Partners. Gillian Jacobs has never given a better performance. She is really, really good in Life Partners. They are funny, sweet, deep, lovely and have wondrous, effortless chemistry; you believe immediately that they are the best of friends. It works so well that I wish the film had been about their characters' relationship. You could call if Life Partners...

Unfortunately, while this film _is_ called Life Partners, that's not what it's about. It's about one huge fight and their personal lives and how much they suck at leading them. And for the most part it is terribly unfunny. From ten minutes in to one minute until the credits roll, these two are at odds with one another. From mild annoyance to a building sense of angst to complete avoidance, the film does everything it can to let you know in big neon letters that 'THERE BE PROBLEMS'. Paige is controlling, Sasha is coasting through life. Fine. We get it, movie. Except while most relationship comedies give you moments of reprieve where we remember why the two are such good friends and we get to laugh with them, Life Partners just keeps on flashing 'THERE BE PROBLEMS' every time it seems like a laugh is coming along.

The two spend the majority of their time on screen apart. Sasha, a lesbian pining for a better job and a better quality of girlfriend, spends most of her time at work as a desk jockey or with her lesbian friends (one of whom is Gabourey Sidibe, proving for the umpteenth time that she's more than just a teen running with chicken). Paige, meanwhile, goes through the film dealing with the fallout from a minor fender-bender and falling in love with her new boyfriend (Adam Brody, who has always been fantastic at playing Adam Brody and continues to be likable as Adam Brody). You see, Sasha and Paige are best friends, but because of Paige's new love life and Sasha's frustration at the loss of time with her friend 'THERE BE PROBLEMS,' so we barely get to see either woman smile.

The film runs its course with nary a twist or a turn and you wind up exactly where you'd expect, and while both women are truly delightful in their roles, damn if this story doesn't suck all of the life and joy from the predictable proceedings. I'm also very frustrated that a comedic talent as awesome as Julie White has been relegated to playing the wacky mom for the last ten years, but she is still very entertaining as Paige's wacky mom.

Given the stellar performances from its leads, I really wanted to love this film. I just can't. It's never dull or stupid or mean, none of the awkward, cringe-worthy stuff gets drawn out beyond the point of respectability and the film looks good, with slick direction and cheerful settings. It's just not funny.

6/10. All six stars go to the performances of the leads. Everything else is horribly average.

Sasha (Leighton Meester) is gay and best friends with straight Paige (Gillian Jacobs). Their best friends are Jen (Gabourey Sidibe) and Jenn (Beth Dover). They are inseparable until Paige meets Tim (Adam Brody). Paige is an environmental lawyer. Tim keeps quoting movies. Sasha is a musician in a dead-end job who doesn't play music. Paige accepts Tim's marriage proposal. Sasha keeps dating immature girls like Vanessa (Abby Elliott) and Mia (Greer Grammar).

The first half is sweet and a bit of quirky. It's mildly humorous. It's two best friends growing apart as their lives change. The second half is a slightly better. The humor has a little bite. There is some personal drama but it never truly gets too dramatic. Both Meester and Jacobs have endearing qualities. Overall, it's a light, sweet and mildly funny life stories of late twenty-somethings.

The comedy was spot on, and the romance was not overused as many Rom- Com have become lately, brought on the surface the lesbians part of romance yet not too much involved which was really great producing, the casting was also successful, characters we'v seen on TV and some in a few movies and still managed to look fresh and new even for Gillian Jacobs and Gabourey Sidibe. i would'v make it more twisty and knot the plot a little more but the story still got out great the way it is. and as i said it was Good story, peaked and grow properly and it nicely ended . so bravo for the cast and Susanna Fogel for a good directing and writing ;)

This is not "12 angry men" or "Citizen Kane". But it is very good in its own genre. That's why I'm giving it an 8. It's a feel-good movie that does not pretend anything else and that's the reason why it works. There's a chemistry between all the characters and even the small role played by Beth Dover makes you laugh. I guess it depends on how old you are and how seriously you take yourself in order to enjoy something like this where Sasha and Paige are going through some changes in their lives and how society expects them to be. The ending is a little hasty though. All and all, I prefer that than having something like "Divergent" lasting more than 2 hours just because as if the story were far too complicated.