Adult Life Skills

Started off kinda meekly, I was quickly losing interest when I thought I was about to waste my time on yet another childish portrayal of a delayed adulthood, shoulders stubbornly stuck in the vaginal walls of a happier past, a past that made sense -- whereas renting an apartment, paying bills etc, obviously doesn't.

Well. I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong. Wruh-uh-ong. This is a great little movie -- funny, lighthearted, and still, the dramatic elements are so strong and wonderfully structured, proving entirely capable of planting a lump in your throat the size of a goddamned walnut.

Nothing more to say. Watch this. It's good.

I can think of 2 fun comedies that involve characters who live in a shed: "Almost Sharkproof" (2014) and this one "Adult Life Skills". Well then there's also Silence of the Lambs but that's something uh different.

As you might guess from the premise, "Adult Life Skills" is about a 30 year old woman who doesn't know what to do with her life. Socially and emotionally stunted for reasons you will learn early in the flick, "Anna" (Jodie Whitaker) is an overgrown adolescent who spends her days talking to her thumbs and who can't manage to put on a bra without severely embarrassing herself. With her 30th birthday looming, her mom gives her an ultimatum which is basically the entire plot of the film: move out of the shed. Get a life. And she has about 1 week to do it.

What we get is a cute, quirky, at times tragic, at times magical story about her reluctant attempted transformation into an adult. The film is very minimal, consisting of a shed, the bottom floor of a house, a childrens camp where she works, and the landscape of a tiny rural town where nothing seems to happen except that people occasionally die off. The whole production is marvelously carried by a witty script and some rapid fire banter in funny accents (I dunno, are they "accents"? Being from America I figure everything outside of Connecticut is an accent). The film's narrow scope works tremendously to its advantage as we are forced to scrutinize small details of everyday life rather than epic dramas of wars and romance. Although there are tragic themes, it's handled off camera so we see only how it affects the characters in an unspoken way. And although there is a slight romance angle here, it's done in a hilariously awkward way (the snogging scene had me in stitches).

There aren't too many films like this, but I might compare it to the excellent 2017 indie film "Izzy Gets the F* Across Town" which is entirely about a young woman trying to ...get the f* across town. Here we have a story that could've had the alternate title "Anna Moves the F* Out Of Her Shed". You've probably never seen a movie quite like this, so don't miss it.

I picked this up at the library because I only knew Jodie Whittaker from Doctor Who, and I wanted to see her in another context. This film is touching and funny, and I like it. The only problem I had was understanding the dialogue. I watch British television shows and movies frequently, like 2 or 3 per week, and usually have no problem with the various regional accents. These people I had much difficulty understanding. I'm thankful that I was watching it on disc, and could run it back to repeat; I did that with about 1/4 of the dialogue. Of course this had to be one of the few DVDs which does not have subtitles available. It needs them.

Hannah, after losing her twin brother 18 months ago, has moved into her mother's shed and has stubbornly refused to move on. She and her brother were very creative together and she continues her creative efforts by making videos of thumb puppets traveling in space which earns her constant criticism from her mother, who has taken a tough love approach to forcing Hannah to move on by forcing her to vacate the shed by her 30th birthday.

Hannah's mother, grandmother, suitor, and girlfriend are all delightfully quirky. If you like quirky, this movie is for you. These characters are not one dimensional, but all have strengths and flaws that are shown to us by a very gifted writer/director.

One explosion, no car chases, and no gratuitous violence make this a movie that does not waste ones time with formulaic nonsense for the brain dead. Instead it illustrates through actions the panic and struggle of letting go a loss so great that one thinks her life will never be the same, that it's impossible to move on. And the film illustrates the jolts of losing the precious things, one at a time, that keep her isolated and bound to her dead twin.

Yet there is nothing morbid or overly dramatic in this presentation. The film is full of humor. Hannah must look after a young boy whose mother is dying, knowing what he will face. Yet he's a young cowboy and his own quirkiness mirrors Hannah's, as does his journey. Hannah is pursued awkwardly by Brandon, a somewhat shy individual who manages to approach her at the worst times, like when she's peeing behind a boat. And her dead twin appears to her in snorkeling gear which may be a clue to his death, or just his sense of humor.

There's not a surprise ending to spoil. This movie is about the journey and not the outcome and like all good films, it's made up of moments which are captivating to watch and feel as well as some good laughs along the way. I highly recommend it.

I actually prefered the BFI short "Emotional Fusebox", but still a good film. I felt as if the humour in the script a little forced at time, as Jodie portrays her character very nicely without these somewhat clumsy gags and distracts a bit from Anna's rather delightfully serene and creative coping mechanisms.