“Life Partners” is an ideal example of a buddy comedy.
It’s funny and sweet, with a believable friendship at its core and conflict derived from recognizable experiences rather than the machinations of a screenplay.
The picture stars Leighton Meester and Gillian Jacobs as longtime best friends Sasha and Paige, who find their relationship threatened when Paige starts dating Tim (Adam Brody).
That’s a simple premise, of course, but it’s rendered with sharp wit by director Susanna Fogel (who co-wrote the script with Joni Lefkowitz) and dialogue that sounds and feels like the way people actually communicate.
That Sasha is gay and Paige is straight seems almost immaterial; the real fissure that emerges between these friends has less to do with sexuality than with the simple fact that they have reached their late 20s at highly different stages in their lives. Page is an accomplished attorney, fastidious and serious. Sasha is an aspiring musician and secretary who still hasn’t quite figured herself out.
We all know people like them and we’ve all probably felt a little bit like each one at different times over the years. The movie has a lot of funny moments and clever observations centered on the awkwardness of reaching one of life’s transition points. It’s not substantial, ultimately, but lighthearted escapism doesn’t come much smarter.
‘Life Partners’
3 Stars
Directed by Susanna Fogel
Starring Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Adam Brody
Rated R
