Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
The Sweet Life is a drama-comedy from Director Rob Spera and stars Chris Messina and Abigail Spencer. It follows the love story of Kenny Parker and Lolita Nowicki, each struggling with their own brand of demons, who first meet by chance in Chicago and form a pact to travel across the country to the Golden Gate Bridge to commit suicide…together.
Under The Lens: Other People and Mental Struggles
Other People: It may feel edgy and in poor taste to have a comedy picture about two people on their way to commit suicide together. However the picture is not about death but life, and how we live it, the message of the narrative focuses on people, other people to be precise. It shows how we as humans struggle with hardships and sometimes those hardships come because we have no one around to help us through them. We see the characters of Kenny and Lolita who are both hurting and are all alone, Kenny working as an ice-cream salesman, and Lolita as an insurance adjuster. Both have had bad things happen to them that caused them to withdraw from society, and in the end, the only thing that saved them was finding and supporting each other.
Mental Struggles: We see a lot of motion picture about mental illness, but it was refreshing to see two characters who were not mentally ill, but just dealing with sadness and mental struggles. It showcases that we humans are meant to be social and when we are cut off from that it can cause out emotional and mental state to break down. It was nice to see the picture show these two people are totally normal who just had a stream of bad things happen to them, but once they found each, other they began to heal.
Highlights
The interpretive dance scene was funny and very sweet as we saw the two characters finally begin to heal.
The concept of a suicide road trip was very original and gave a new spin to the “Road trip” genre
Both actors had good chemistry together
Something to think about
Have you ever gone through a hardship? Did it help to have a friend or family member to lean on?
Conclusion
Overall The Sweet Life is a somewhat formulaic dramedy rom-com, but it has some important things to say about life and how we need each other to get through the rough patches that are sure to come along. Anchored with strong performances by Chris Messina and Abigail Spencer, the picture is elevated beyond a simple love story and becomes something a bit deeper. The Sweet Life is a reminder that life is worth living and that our life can be a bit sweeter with others in it to help us along the way.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.
CALL NOW: 1-800-273-8255
