With her unconventional looks, actress Krysten Ritter has
often been cast as the best friend. The fair-skinned beauty with the jet black
hair has appeared in that role in films like Confessions of a Shopaholic and She's Out of My League. Sometimes you just have to take the initiative when it
comes to scoring the lead. That's what we have here with Life Happens or as it is officially (and annoyingly) titled, L!fe Happens. Along with actor/director
Kat Coiro, Ritter co-wrote the film, which mines the always hilarious topic of
unplanned pregnancy.
Kim (Ritter) and her best friend, Deena (Kate Bosworth), are
ready for a wild night of sex, but only have one condom between the two of
them. Deena snatches the last prophylactic, leaving Kim to "raw dog"
it with an Australian surfer (Rhys Coiro). A year later, Kim is a single mom
with a son named Max and a job as the assistant to Francesca (Kristen
Johnston), a wealthy socialite with an aversion to children. Kim tolerates
Francesca's abrasive attitude in the hopes she will invest in her idea for a
shopping mall catering exclusively to dogs. She also has a hard time meeting
guys, who are all scared off by the mere sight of a baby.
While partaking in the trendy nightlife of L.A., Kim meets a
handsome fellow named Nicolas (Geoff Stults). Afraid of losing another one, she
tells him that Max is Deena's son. Now, Kim has to balance her professional
life with motherhood and a personal life built around a seemingly harmless
white lie.
L!fe Happens
labors its way through a story riddled with clichés and strained attempts at
humor. The movie tries way too hard to earn its R-rating with raunchy humor in
an effort to copy the lucrative Apatow formula. One sequence sees Kim lactating
on Nicolas during intercourse while the dialogue leaves us with gems like
"douche-nozzle," although, they earn bonus points for making a
reference to The Night Porter.
There's hardly any chemistry between Ritter and Stults, plus there is a
distinct lack of wit to their banter. The filmmakers also shoehorn in a third
roommate played by Rachel Bilson. She's one of those indie characters who is
quirky for quirky's sake. Bilson is a proud virgin forced to work humiliating
jobs as a lingerie wearing valet or a human sushi platter. The rest of the screen
time is filled out with a B-story involving the smart, feminist Deena romancing
one of Nicolas's idiot friends. Never mind that the entire movie is nullified
by the simple act of stopping by a 24-hour CVS.
The only time I managed to perk up during L!fe Happens was a random appearance by
Seymour Cassel in the very minor role of Kim's grandfather.
If you're wondering how L!fe
Happens stacks up against Knocked Up,
Juno, or even Baby Mama, the answer is
not very well. L!fe Happens lacks the
humor and the heart of those pictures.
Rating: * (*****)
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