Life Just Is

Life Just Is looks at a group of friends in their early 20s and how they cope with what life throws at them.

If you are expecting a fast moving rom com then this is not the film for you but it is a really enjoyable gentle exploration of the characters. There is bound to be at least one character that you relate to. The script is great and there are some very funny lines in it. The party scene is particularly funny.

This is an independent film, made on a tight budget which is a great achievement and the cast are fantastic.

Go with an open mind and I am sure that you will enjoy this!

WOW. This one is up their in my league of the awful ones.. Obviously it has no budget, so I'm not going to criticise the actors or the props.. I'm just going to criticise the fact that this made it to IMDb... I'm flabbergasted. This is basically a REALLY long drawn out STUDENT FILM. If any of you aren't familiar with the 'student film', it's basically a very boring, simple look on life (always life), relationships (always relationships) and a tiny tiny tiny pinch of conflict (not too much to put pressure on the actors!).. Here are the exact ingredients:

•1 annoying looking pretty boy

1 bland looking female 1 gay person (male or female)

1 house (student house will do)

1 camera, a cheap light and shopping trolley to push the camera on.

1 awful scriptwritten on the back of a cereal packet.

Mix together with £50 budget to cover pizzas, 2 days to cover all the scenes and move the lighting around, 2 days to put it on a computer and muddle the scenes around with some free music and an old PC to burn it to disc...

That's it.. student film done. If you're still in any doubt, find this film.

it took me a little bit to get into the movie, but once I did I really enjoyed it. it does an excellent job of capturing the turmoil of being twenty-something -- the confusion, the struggle to "figure it all out." you really find yourself connecting with the characters in unique ways. the dialogue, while it felt a bit scripted at times, is delivered well by actors who seem more experienced than their ages. Pete in particular did a wonderful job. Each of the characters has their own unique struggle throughout the film -- I find something new to connect with each time I watch it. there's something for everyone in this movie and I will definitely be recommending it to friends. I really enjoyed the symbolism throughout the film -- Pete's and Tom's experiences in particular really struck me.

I went to see this film last week not knowing what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised.

Life Just Is tells the tale of five twenty-somethings who, having recently graduated, struggle to adapt or even understand their new adult lives. Each one has to face a different reality and dilemmas that life throws at them. The dialogue has far more depth than it may seem, as our five protagonists discuss life's great mysteries, as death and religion. Relationships, racism and anxiety are also themes tackled by story, sometimes in subtle strokes that give the film a clever plot. The characters are compelling and easy to identify with, as the cast are packed with talented young actors.

The look may seem simplistic to the untrained eye, but it is clear that Alex Barrett put much thought on the natural light and framing. You can feel the influence of directors as diverse as Mike Leigh and Kevin Smith, as Barrett makes a well structured story seem easy and down to earth. The exploration of one's early adult life is not taken lightly, although the film is filled with some very funny jokes.

Made under a micro budget, it is a triumph of independent British cinema. No wonder it got a Michael Powell nomination for Best British Film. I would definitely recommend it.

Ironically this is the opening line of Alex Barrett's directorial debut "Life Just Is." Ironic, because that was exactly my feelings as I thankfully exited the cinema on the movie's debut at the Edinburgh International Film Festival an hour ago. It's trying to be a Hal Hartleyesque slice of modern London Life. It's trying to reflect the ebb and flow of post University existence amongst a group of token flatmates and pals (a la This Life). I mean really; A black guy, a gay guy, an existentialist "nutter", a pretty posh girl and a Northern Irish lass that doesn't have to confidence to exist and is going to hell and back in a relationship with her new and much older boyfriend. Does that tick enough boxes? I say it's trying to be these things, but all it is trying. It's turgid, tormenting, tumescent tosh.

Really it is.

Pretentious doesn't even begin to describe how, err, pretentious this movie is.

The acting is at times naturalistic but more often than not simply wooden.

The camera work is so slow that on occasions you wonder if you're actually watching the rushes.

There are many scenes of Tom (Nathaniel Martello-White) walking to work so slowly that you wonder if he's actually disabled only to realise he has to walk that slowly so that the dolly can keep up with him.

Avoid this boring self-indulgent claptrap at all costs.