JEANNE’S REVIEW

Yikes! Besides being old, decrepit and out of the loop, David and I do not have a clue as to how difficult the dating world is right now. We have a daughter who is in her early 30’s and from what we’ve witnessed --- it’s no picnic. And I LOVE YOU FOREVER seems to hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Mackenzie (Sofia Black-D’Elia) is a 25-year-old law student whose only “romance” comes from the occasional hookup with Jake (Raymond Cham Jr.), a pain in the rear end, who can’t even bother to be kind. Fate intervenes and she meets Finn (Ray Nicholson --- yes, Jack’s son) at the birthday party for one of her two best friends, Ally (Cazzie David --- yes, Larry’s daughter).

Ally and her other best friend, Lucas (Jon Rudnitsky), encourage Mackenzie to go out with Finn, even though Mackenzie loathes first dates because of the awkwardness of being in a restaurant with someone you don’t really know yet, surrounded by strangers. So, in what appears to be a grand gesture --- and instead should have been a first red flag --- Finn rents out the entire place. And from there, things only get better --- or worse --- until it becomes unbearable.

I LOVE YOU FOREVER is written and directed by Ms. David and Elisa Kalani. This is their first feature film, though they had collaborated on the critically acclaimed web-series “Eighty-Sixed”. Their goal was to “create a relatable romantic comedy” for their generation, and they have succeeded.

The ”love-bombing” they depict is truly horrifying beginning with smothering waves of affection that devolve into a frightening phase of manipulation and abuse. Mackenzie is a smart girl, and we are left wondering why she puts up with the chaos. And why does she believe this is love --- or the way love should be?

David and Kalani’s screenplay is intelligent and thought provoking --- at times hilarious --- and often cringe worthy. Black-D’Elia and Nicholson have great chemistry and play off one another with just the right amount of love versus trepidation. David and Rudnitsky round out the ensemble by portraying the self-absorbed best friends perfectly.

I LOVE YOU FOREVER is a requisite cautionary tale. And right in time for Valentine’s Day!

                  In theaters and streaming

Opinion: See It Now!

DAVID’S REVIEW

What happens when two people meet, everything appears to be perfect between them, then one becomes a smotherer? That’s the gist of this engrossing film I LOVE YOU FOREVER. It’s part comedy, part drama --- and the two leads render quite good performances.

Sofia Black-D’Elia plays Mackenzie, the 25-year-old law student who meets Finn (Ray Nicholson) at a bar. Finn seems quite normal, he’s good looking and flirts with Mackenzie briefly.

She may not have been in a serious relationship before, but we are witness to her hookups with Jake (Raymond Cham Jr.). He clearly wants only a physical connection to Mackenzie. When she reaches to hold his hand while they’re in bed, Jake pulls away and tells her he only wanted his cell phone.

So now we have Mackenzie and Finn. They seem completely smitten with each other to the point where the beginning of I LOVE YOU FOREVER is saccharine. You know the type --- always snuggling with each other, public displays of affection and the rest. As viewers, we believe their mutual feelings are premature. But then the story drastically changes when Finn decides Mackenzie is not giving him the respect and attention he deserves. We wonder where this is headed, but intuitively the sense is it won’t be pretty.

Cazzie David, who has a supporting role as Ally, is also the co-director and co-writer of this movie with Elisa Kalani. It was part of the prestigious SXSW film festival last fall and was well received. Cazzie shares a supporting role with Jon Rudnitsky as Lucas. Both are Mackenzie’s best friends who provide some normalcy in her life as well as advice about Finn from time to time.

Black-D’Elia is great as the girl who believes she has met “the one”. Nicholson is downright scary at times with his verbal outbursts and obvious insecurities. What is Mackenzie to do? She is in a real dilemma and the writing is spot on. I LOVE YOU FOREVER is more of an engaging drama because we’re not sure of the outcome. But the ending is a doozie.

                         In theaters and streaming

Opinion: See It Now!