Life Partners (2014)

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

3/23/18. Sasha (gay) and Paige (straight) are best buds and roommates. Paige meets Tim and they get serious. Sasha feels left out. Will they be able to stay best buds? This basic premise works well and the movie is enjoyable to watch.

Sasha and Paige are best friends since forever. Sasha's lesbian and Paige's straight. So far, that's just how the story goes, their lives somehow co-dependent with each other until one of them fell in love, for real and started to lose time with her bestie.The movie tackles about true friendship (regardless of its sexual preference) that even if one day, one of them chooses a different course they will always be friends for life.Leighton Meester's character Sasha reminds me of her character Blair in Gossip Girl. Although Blair's totally straight, both of them value their friendship even if sometimes they get hurt in the process but they don't give up easily. I think that's what friendship is all about. We learn to accept, to forgive, to be loyal until the end of time.It's a heart-warming, feel-good and very real kind of movie that you will enjoy watching even when you are alone, with your partner or with your closest buds. It is also gender sensitive film even if the movie didn't really focus on Sasha's sexuality but focused on how Sasha is devoted to Paige's life that sometimes may be the root of their misunderstandings. The ending was simple but I couldn't think of any ending better than that.

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.

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.