Skip to main content

BFF review SWEET PARENTS

Image
By
Following Films

SWEET PARENTS review

2017
Directed By: David Bly
Starring: David Bly and Leah Rudick
Written By: David Bly and Leah Rudick

Moving to New York City with ambitions of making it as an artist is an uphill battle. Hell, moving to New York with ambitions of breaking into fast food is an uphill battle. Exorbitant rent makes it difficult if not impossible to get a temp job while you audition, paint, write, or sculpt. And paying $28 for an artisan PB&J not only has a heavy tax on your pocketbook, over time it can carry a greater burden on your soul. Spending tons of money to only feel like you are barely keeping your head above water is a crushing way to exist.

SWEET PARENTS is the story of a young couple who have been living the artists struggle in NYC for close to 8 years. Will has dreams of making it as a Chef and Gabby wants to become a professional sculptor. Both start side relationships, as last ditch efforts to support their careers, in what becomes a choice between ambition and love.

Many times when a partner is cheating, they look for ways to find arguments, squabbles, and disagreements. Mostly this tactic is deployed to distract their partner and prevent them from figuring out what's really going on behind their backs. That and it seems like the guilt of what they are doing is sometimes processed as anger. Bly taps into that all too familiar feeling early in the film when Will asks Gabby about what she does while he's at work. You see, Will works nights and Gabby works days. So, while they have a deep love and appreciation for one another their schedules create a chasm between them. An inquiry, that appears to be perfectly innocent in nature starts a fight that leaves Will somewhat confused and frustrated.

The conceit of this film has been seen dozens of times before. Be it in films as different as lasts years LA LA LAND or 1993's INDECENT PROPOSAL, the struggle between money and love has been the inspiration for many filmmakers. The thing that separates SWEET PARENTS from the rest of the pack is how truthful its feels. The dialogue and performances are understated while being rooted in life and experience. It feels as if Bly and Rudick recorded their fights for some unknown reason and then decided to turn them into a screenplay.

While I've never shacked up with an older lady, under the canopy of furthering my career, I have made impulsive short sided decisions that not only hurt someone I loved, they ultimately left me broken and cynical. I'm sure most will see some version of themselves projected in SWEET PARENTS. Its an uncomfortable mirror to stare at, but one that will help to keep the viewer honest.

 SWEET PARENTS  will be playing at:

 Brooklyn Film Festival - Sunday, June 11th at 6pm at Windmill Studios NYC - Closing Night Film

 Lower East Side Film Festival - Wednesday, June 14th at 8pm - Sunshine Cinema - New York Premiere



Sweet Parents Trailer from David Bly on Vimeo.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

MULHOLLAND DRIVE Ending Explained

By
MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a complex and surreal film directed by David Lynch, known for its non-linear narrative and dreamlike sequences. The ending is open to interpretation and has been the subject of much debate among viewers. Here's a breakdown of the ending: Diane's Dream vs. Reality: Throughout the film, there are two main narrative threads: one follows Betty/Diane's dreamlike experiences in Hollywood, and the other delves into Diane's harsh reality. The ending reveals that the majority of the film has been a dream constructed by Diane Selwyn, a failed actress, as a means to escape the guilt and pain of her actions. Betty/Diane's Descent into Madness: Betty, played by Naomi Watts, represents Diane's idealized self—a hopeful and innocent aspiring actress. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that Betty's story is unraveling, and her identity begins to merge with Diane's. This culminates in the revelation that Betty is merely a construct of Di...
Read More

Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

By
The long-running and fan-favorite horror series Final Destination is set to make its return with Final Destination Bloodlines, bringing a new chapter of supernatural terror to the big screen. Scheduled for a theatrical and IMAX release on May 16, 2025, in the U.S. (and internationally beginning May 14), the film promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of chilling premonitions and inescapable fate. The upcoming installment features a fresh ensemble cast, including Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, The Flash), Teo Briones (Chucky, Will vs. The Future), Richard Harmon (The 100, The Age of Adaline), Owen Patrick Joyner (Julie and the Phantoms, 100 Things to Do Before High School), and Anna Lore (They/Them, Gotham Knights). Also joining the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) and horror icon Tony Todd, who reprises his role from the original Final Destination films. Todd, best known for his chilling portrayal of the titular character in the Candyman fra...
Read More

POPULATION PURGE Trailer and Release Info

By
In a dystopian world where a radical government has unleashed a deadly poison to control population, only those with blood type AB positive remain unscathed. But instead of outright death, the rest of the population is left to suffer in a state of chronic illness, causing widespread chaos and panic. As the majority slowly succumbs to the effects of the poison, their only hope lies in receiving transfusions of AB positive blood from the few immune survivors, like Charlie and his granddaughter Maya. Living in the decrepit remains of an abandoned amusement park, Charlie is a renegade supplier of blood to the underground market. But their sanctuary is threatened by the iron-fisted rule of District 22's ruthless warden, Onslow, who will stop at nothing to save his own dying son. As Charlie and Maya fight to defend their haven and their own sanity, the eccentric duo must navigate through a world of danger and betrayal. POPULATION PURGE was written by Brian Johnson and Toby Osborne and di...
Read More