Our Review

                            Movie:  FANTASY LIFE

                 Rating: R, Brief Drug Use, Some Sexual                                              References,  Language       

                                          Length: 1:31             

                          Release Date: March 28, 2026

Jeanne: Despite a terrific performance by Amanda Peet, FANTASY LIFE is a middling film loosely based on writer/director Matthew Shear’s years working as a “manny” in New York City. Billed as a romantic comedy, Shear’s screenplay is neither romantic nor funny.

Sam (Shear) is a law school dropout struggling with mental health issues. His psychiatrist, Fred (Judd Hirsch), is a family friend, along with his wife, Helen (Andrea Martin), who serves as Fred’s receptionist. After baring his soul to Fred that he might be anti-Semitic, Sam --- who is Jewish --- assures Fred he’s not suicidal. Fred adjusts Sam’s medication and sends him on his way.

Before he can exit the office, Helen ropes Sam into babysitting their three granddaughters. Their son, David (Alessandro Nivola), is a musician and has a gig that night. Their daughter-in-law, Dianne (Peet), is out for the evening and Helen and Fred also have a commitment. Sam heads over to David and Dianne’s brownstone, where David gives Sam instructions for watching the girls.

Things don’t go well --- the girls run roughshod over Sam --- but he is kept on as a manny while David embarks on a world tour with his band. Dianne, who suffers from a chronic mood disorder, is trying to restart her acting career with little success.

By summertime, the entire family, including grandparents and friends, are at the Cape, along with Sam who is still employed to watch the girls. An incident involving Sam and the three daughters gets him dismissed, and Sam finds himself back in Manhattan unemployed. 

Though Peet and Shear have a couple of scenes together, FANTASY LIFE is far from being a romantic movie, let alone a comedy. There is no spark --- at all --- between Sam and Dianne, though perhaps, in Shear’s concept of this story, there is.

Neither David, my illustrious partner, nor I laughed once. Nivola plays David as a real jerk --- he’s insufferable. The girls are total brats and Dianne is incapable of being a mother. Even the presence of Hirsch, Martin and Bob Balaban cannot help save Shear’s odious script.

Opinion: Don’t Bother!

David: In FANTASY LIFE., there is not much happening of any consequence. A dysfunctional Jewish family needs a nanny to babysit their three young daughters. So they hire Sam (writer/director Matthew Shear), and call him a “manny”. Sam is a 30-something schlemiel. He becomes enthralled with the mother, Dianne (Amanda Peet) who is married to David (Alessandro NIvola).

With the presence of some familiar names and faces in minor roles (Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin, Holland Taylor),  FANTASY LIFE is purported to be a romantic comedy --- it isn’t. Personally, I do not recall laughing or even chuckling at any moment during the film.

Virtually all the characters are unlikeable --- including the three girls, who are incredibly annoying. Peet is the exception here. She does radiate a beautiful smile and delivers a memorable performance.

Opinion: Don’t Bother!