If you’re looking for the female equivalent to a bromance film, look no further than Life Partners. Susanna Fogel makes her directorial feature debut with a film about friendship and love- and it’s anything but conventional. Actress turned-recent rocker Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Gillian Jacobs, best known as Britta on NBC’s Community, bring humor and girl power to Fogel’s charming story, making it the perfect movie for a girls night out, or in (if you’re into that sort of thing).
Sasha (Meester) and Paige (Jacobs) are best friends. Both nearing 29 years old, they have always had each other to complain about bad dates to and watch America’s Next Top Model with- that is, until Paige gets a boyfriend. This seems like typical girly high school drama-fodder, but for Sasha, losing Paige hurts a lot more than she lets on. Sasha is a lesbian and her relationship with Paige is much like sisters (it has always been platonic and nothing more). They know each other’s secrets, favorite television shows, and bottle of wine; for Sasha, losing Paige is like losing a part of herself.
Another thing this film has going for it is its soundtrack– lo-fi bands like Tennis and Lowpines ground the film’s Southern California vibe and keep the tone of the story chill, yet engaging.
Yes, Sasha is gay, but in the big scheme of the story, that really doesn’t matter. This is a story about friendship and the strength of the female bond, regardless of designations like “gay” or “straight.” That being said, Meester takes on the more challenging role here, playing Sasha with an upped masculine side, but not too much so that she turns into a caricature. Life Partners could have easily gone in the daytime soap opera direction, and thankfully it doesn’t. When Paige introduces her new boyfriend Tim (interestingly enough, Meester’s real-life husband Adam Brody) to Sasha, the jealousy stems from losing a friend, not from losing a potential lover. Fogel captures this moment any new boyfriend is introduced to the BFF for the first time with humor and charm.
Another thing this film has going for it is its soundtrack– lo-fi bands like Tennis and Lowpines ground the film’s Southern California vibe and keep the tone of the story chill, yet engaging. A quick viewing of the trailer sums up these musical talents sprinkled throughout the film.
As to be expected, this story has a happy ending. The character arcs are universally relatable; for Sasha, it’s understanding that while everyone grows up, that doesn’t mean they out-grow friends. For Paige, a fight with Tim leads her to realize that her need to always be right will never end well, especially in relationships. It may not be boundary pushing, or revelatory cinema, but Life Partners is easy digestible, inoffensive and just a charming film. The performances are good, the script is solid, and the message is true: best friends are forever.
