The New Canadian Rom-Com Classic: Middle Life Film Review
Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay Goldstein in Middle Life.
On September 20th, the Canadian film Middle Life made its world premiere at the Calgary International Film Festival. Directed and written by Pavan Moondi, Middle Life follows Andie (played by Leah Fay Goldstein), a wedding planner and new mother who tries to plan and organize everything in her life perfectly. Despite trying to craft her life exactly the way that she wants, she is still rather unhappy, including a lack of fulfillment in her marriage with Chris (played by Luke Lalonde). One night, she saves a plumber named Ryan (played by Peter Dreimanis) from a roadside accident. Over the next year, their paths intertwine again, sparking a new and unexpected friendship and leading her to gain a newfound perspective on life. Unlike some romantic comedies where the jokes don't land or the romance just isn't there, Middle Life has a great balance of comedic and romantic elements. Middle Life will simultaneously make you laugh out loud and melt your heart. Odds are you will have a huge smile on your face by the time the movie ends.
Remarkably, in its short runtime, Moondi packs a lot in, allowing the viewer to care deeply about the characters. Moondi does this by utilizing quick scenes or montages, especially near the beginning of the film, instantly transporting us into the daily lives of the characters. As time goes on we get longer scenes where Andy and Ryan share the screen and develop a connection together. Once this happens, wonderful chaos ensues, including randomly crashing a house party and impulsively flying to LA. Again, the more we learn about these characters and the more they bond and develop, the easier it is to feel for them.
It is always interesting to see musicians acting in a film. Sometimes it turns out poorly; other times it turns out wonderfully, and you hope to see them in more projects. Middle Life fits the latter. The three main stars of Middle Life are Goldstein and Dreimanis of July Talk and Lalonde of Born Ruffians. All of them are phenomenal in their roles, but the main standout is Dreimanis, who is comedy gold. Earlier this year, Dreimanis played a menacingly mysterious folk-singing vampire named Bert in Sinners. This was his first film role, though you would not be able to tell, as he was tremendous here. Middle Life sees him in an entirely different role, but he is just as good. Dreimanis is effortlessly charming and endearing as Ryan, making him such a likable character. He brings such a wild, goofy energy to the role, providing many of the biggest laughs of the film. His energetic performance really brings Ryan’s adventurous and free-spirited personality to life. Hopefully, in the future we will see Dreimanis in more comedies.
The chemistry between Dreimanis and Goldstein is really what makes this movie work so well. They are just as amazing on the screen together as they are on the stage performing together. Each scene they share together is incredibly engaging to watch, thanks to the natural conversations between them and their seamless chemistry. Due to their performances and chemistry, it is so easy to root for Andie and Ryan to end up together, as they are super adorable and cute together.
Other highlights include the score and cinematography. Ben Fox’s score, a jazzy bossa nova throwback to classic ’70s and ’80s romantic comedies and sitcoms, is stunningly gorgeous. Fox was able to masterfully convey the feeling of ‘love is in the air’ with the score. Additionally, the heavy use of the saxophone in the score was a great choice; it really immerses the viewer in the film and adds to the cozy vibe that the film has. Meanwhile, Jared Raab's cinematography, along with the colour grading, is absolutely beautiful. Raab does a fantastic job capturing the wonderful landscapes of Toronto and L.A., making it as if they are characters themselves in the film. Between Fox's score and Raab's cinematography, it occasionally feels like you are watching a classic romantic comedy, with When Harry Met Sally… or You’ve Got Mail coming to mind for me.
Overall, Middle Life is a sweet and heartwarming romantic comedy that is definitely worth checking out.
Middle Life has a second screening at the Calgary International Film Festival on September 24. Tickets are available at www.ciffcalgary.ca. Middle Life will be heading to the Vancouver International Film Festival in October.