Middle Life

Which is better – responsible planning or acting spontaneously? There’s something to be said for both, though they can each become problematic if carried too far. What’s more, it’s somewhat ironic that those of us who are preoccupied with one form of behavior over the other often long for wishing that we could more easily engage in its counterpart without becoming unduly neurotic. Yet finding someone who can successfully help us partake in such contrary behavior can frequently work wonders in shaking us out of our comfort zone. Such is the case with an unlikely duo who meet by accident – literally – in this new Canadian romantic comedy-drama from writer-director Pavan Moondi. Thirty-something Toronto wedding planner Andie (Leah Fay Goldstein) seemingly has everything she ever wanted – her own business, a successful husband, Chris (Luke Lalonde), and an adorable newborn, Theo. Everything arose from her meticulous penchant for planning (which, of course, helps to explain her line of work). But, if she’s been so successful in attaining what she wanted, why does she feel so unfulfilled? While wrestling with this idea, she unwittingly comes upon a traffic accident in which she heroically rescues the driver, Ryan (Peter Dreimanis), whose flipped-over vehicle has left him and his aging father (Mike D. Smith) injured on the roadway. But things don’t end there. Not long thereafter, Andie and Ryan run into one another in a chance encounter. The no-nonsense blue-collar plumber who specializes in the installation of bidets insists on thanking her properly for her help, a gesture that leads to cocktails that, in turn, sparks an ongoing friendship full of fun and spontaneity – the perfect tonic for relieving the tedium of her rapidly deteriorating marriage. Their good times together are freeing for Andie, but, when they result in an impulsive, unplanned whirlwind trip to Los Angeles, circumstances quickly get out of hand and cost them nearly everything – including their connection to one another. Can their friendship be salvaged? And what about Andie’s marital discord? It seems that responsibility and spontaneity can come into dangerously serious conflict, but, in the end, does that really matter? But, at6 the same time, can they figure out what needs to be done? As romcoms go, “Middle Life” breathes some much-needed fresh air into the genre, telling a decidedly quirky story that’s definitely breezy and fun but with surprisingly substantive undercurrents. The picture recalls the works of James L. Brooks, Rob Reiner, Neil Simon, Paul Mazursky, Woody Allen and others known for the subject of romantic comedy from a smart perspective and isn’t overly preoccupied with seeing how quickly it can get the aspiring lovers into bed together. It’s also one of the first films that I’ve seen that astutely takes realistic chronology into account in calculating what genuinely constitutes “middle life” (and even pokes fun at itself in addressing this notion). While it’s true that some story elements feel somewhat underdeveloped and a few others that feel incorporated needlessly, on balance, this a fine new offering in this genre and raises some important questions that all aspiring partners should consider in the opening stages of a romance, one where responsibility and spontaneity often play major roles in the course of any future amorous development. Indeed, as the protagonists in this tale repeatedly and optimistically observe, “Life could be great” – as long as the right steps are followed to make that happen.