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.Starring: David Bly and Leah Rudick
Written By: David Bly and Leah Rudick
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.