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.

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.

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.

I am not too sure whether I like this movie or not. It doesn't grab me, but on the other hand it's not too awful.

I enjoyed it to a point. It's a light hearted friendship comedy. I thought that the dialogue was excellent, on point, intelligent and well thought out; but I don't believe that the story went anywhere, it was a bit meandering, somewhat like this review!. I didn't think too much of the acting ability of the leads, but the supporting cast was uniformly excellent.

I would still recommend it to men and women alike, but not as a priority must see.

Life Partners (2014) was directed by Susanna Fogel. Sasha--Leighton Meester--is best friends with Paige--Gillian Jacobs. Sasha is a lesbian, and Paige is straight. Neither of them has a problem with this--there's no romantic interest, but lots of love.

Enter Tim--Adam Brody--who falls in love with Paige. (There's a movie in-joke here, because in real life, Brody is married to Meester.). Tim and Paige are engaged, and living together. The movie takes a strange turn at this point, when Paige backs into a neighbor's car. She refuses to take responsibility, which bothers Tim. This theme apparently was required to fill out a 95-minute movie. The whole business was trivial.

The real theme, in my opinion, was the inevitable break between Sasha and Paige. The theme of female friendship being broken when men become involved is old--think of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. It may be old, but it still resonates. I think that's what this movie really was about. It's certainly a theme worth exploring.

We saw this film at the Dryden Theatre as part of the well-chosen offerings of ImageOut, the Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will work well on DVD.