MOVIE INFO:
Lucy and Jane have been best friends for most of their lives and think they know everything there is to know about each other. But when Jane announces that she’s moving from LA to London for a job, Lucy reveals a deeply buried, long-held secret. As Jane tries to help Lucy sort through old patterns and new feelings, their lifelong friendship is thrown into chaos.
REVIEW:
Am I Ok? is a late bloomer comedy starring Dakota Johnson as Lucy a naïve, spa receptionist, in her early thirties, who learns some hard but good life lessons. Lucy has settled into a quiet, unchallenging L.A. existence. Her idea of being adventurous is staring at a six page restaurant menu intently, meditatively and ordering a veggie burger, sweet potato fries and a black iced coffee, every single time. She’s never been in love and has had the same bff since grade school, Jane (Sonoya Mizuno). She has a platonic boyfriend, (Whitmer Thomas) . They’re in a handshake and thanks relationship. She’s scared of everything- change, happiness.
When Jane accepts a work promotion that requires her to relocate to London, Lucy’s world changes, becomes unmoored . Dissatified with straight dating, she decides to give the lesbian lifestyle a try. Lucy has been battling her feelings for other women for a long time. Change and self discovery is coming whether she wants it or not.
The movie was directed by the comedian Tig Notaro and her wife, the actress Stephanie Allyne. It was based on the semi-autobiographical experiences of the movie’s screenwriter, Lauren Pomerantz. The duo directs with a non-existsnt touch that’s suppose to look light and understated, but is totally contrived. The dialogue rhythms between Johnson and Mizumo are off and often awkward. Their banter which is suppose to be fresh and funny with a lived in groove, has the staleness and silences of besties about to breakup. The best scene in the movie is the one most out of place: a funny weekend encounter at a hammock sanctuary.
Johnson is good at delivering a winning smile, that gives the impression there is more to the vivaciousness and the naïveté. She is definitely shy. The mismatch between Johnson and Mizumo is probably due to a lack of chemistry between them. Mizumo may also be slightly miscast. Her personality doesn’t mesh with Jane’s. A better fit— the flirty masseuse colleague, Brittany (Kiersey Clemons) with which Jane’s hesistantly explores her lesbian feelings. There is definite chemistry there. Too bad it’s dropped. It was the most lived in part of Am I Ok?
The coming out part of Lucy’s story is waffled. Her sexuality never seems expansive and real enough. She simply drops the wrong person, lets go off the right one. The upbeat ending has unintended downer overtones. Lucy is stuck following a dream that we know that she can’t grow with. She might thrive short term, but wither in the long one.
Am I Ok? gets a 3.0/5 or a B. It’s streaming on Max.
CREDITS:
Directed by
Written by
Lauren Pomerantz
Produced by
- Tig Notaro
- Stephanie Allynne
- Will Ferrell
- Jessica Elbaum
- Dakota Johnson
- Ro Donnelly
- Erik Feig
- Lucy Kitada
Starring
- Dakota Johnson
- Sonoya Mizuno
- Jermaine Fowler
- Kiersey Clemons
- Molly Gordon
- Tig Notaro
- Sean Hayes
Cinematography
Cristina Dunlap
Edited by
- Kayla M. Emter
- Glen Scantlebury
Music by
Production
companies
- Gloria Sanchez Productions
- Picturestart
- TeaTime Pictures
- Something Fierce Productions
Distributed by
Release dates
- January 24, 2022(Sundance)
- June 6, 2024(United States)
Running time
86 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
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