‘The Life List’ Review: Sofia Carson’s Rote Romantic Drama for Netflix Inspires Jeers, Not Cheers

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Streamlining the plot could have made “The Life List” more impactful. Unfortunately, the Netflix original, which runs over two hours, struggles by trying to combine two familiar storylines: a clichéd romantic quest for true love and a drama about a woman lacking direction who is urged by her deceased mother to rediscover joy in life to claim her inheritance. The storyline often stalls, and our protagonist’s personal growth tasks lack the depth needed to evoke strong emotions. Additionally, it’s disappointing that the production focuses more on showing how she can afford a late-life identity crisis in New York City rather than providing a satisfying portrayal of her internal transformation journey.

Alex (Sofia Carson), who seems content but is actually trapped in her life, doesn’t seem to recognize it herself. She spends her leisure time in a modest city apartment with her long-term partner Finn (Michael Rowland), who appears idle. For several months now, she has been away from her dream job as a teacher and has had to settle for a career in marketing at her mother Elizabeth’s (Connie Britton) cosmetics company. Unlike her brothers Lucas (Dario Ladani Sanchez) and Julian (Federico Rodriguez), Alex shows no immediate desire for children or suburban living. She is a loving aunt and an excellent friend to her sister-in-law Zoe (Marianne Rendón) and best friend Megan (Chelsea Frei). However, the life that Alex thinks she knows is about to experience significant changes.

Elizabeth passes away from cancer (implied through context), leaving detailed instructions for her estate to a young lawyer named Brad (Kyle Allen). In place of a anticipated job promotion and family heirlooms, Alex receives an unexpected motherly admonition from beyond the grave on a recordable DVD. The deceased mother’s wishes are unequivocal: Alex must complete 12 tasks on her 13-year-old self’s bucket list by year’s end, or she forfeits her inheritance. Alex’s quest to rediscover herself and spend more time with her mother through pre-recorded video messages won’t be effortless, as the list includes challenging tasks such as mastering classical piano, reading “Moby Dick,” and finding true love.

In the process of adapting Lori Nelson Spielman’s novel “The Last Full Measure” into a film, director Adam Brooks (known for “Definitely, Maybe”) encounters challenges in translating the characters and their predicaments from the book to the screen. He struggles with deciding what elements to remove, retain, or significantly alter. The prolonged revelation of a major family secret feels more fitting for a multi-episode series than a compact film. Annoyingly, it repeats things that were recently depicted on screen. Alex’s tasks, which include playing in a recital and completing Elizabeth’s love questionnaire, as well as other tasks that terrify her for a whole week, are additional obligations added to her initial list of responsibilities.

Director Adam Brooks finds it hard when turning Lori Nelson Spielman’s book “The Last Full Measure” into a movie, deciding what to keep, cut, or change. A big family secret reveal takes too much time and would work better in a TV series. It also repeats things that were just shown. Alex has extra tasks like playing at a recital and filling out Elizabeth’s love questionnaire, which make her even more busy for a week.

Apart from the two characters who form an underwhelming love triangle in the movie, most of the people surrounding Alex seem flat and unengaging. They don’t offer compelling reasons for us to invest emotionally in them. Megan, Alex’s friend, seems quite insensitive towards Alex’s budding relationship with Garrett (Sebastian De Souza). Brad’s girlfriend Nina (Maria Jung) appears friendly with Alex during a prolonged car ride, engaging in conversation and singing, but unexpectedly becomes hostile towards Alex for no apparent reason other than a screenplay-induced female rivalry. Julian and Lucas are so bland that they might as well be the same person. Their desires are only introduced late in the movie, serving more to fill time rather than introduce fresh perspectives.

Beyond Alex is another character – her actions may lead us to understand her choice of a monotonous career and joyless relationship, yet we seldom resonate with her feelings. Despite our efforts, Carson brings out a softer side in her, hidden beneath a tough facade. Her knack for comedy, subtle expressions, and quick-witted banter with Allen add sparkle and vivacity to the movie, making it more appealing while softening Alex’s harder traits.

Despite the author and filmmaker’s creation being somewhat self-centered, she fails to seize chances for personal development. Her attempts at helping troubled student Ezra (Luca Padovan) almost make us empathize with her. However, this sentiment is fleeting. Although she learns new abilities and steps out of her comfort zone, this isn’t the same as maturing emotionally. Instead, she primarily focuses on herself without putting in the necessary emotional effort – from setting Garrett up for repeated failures to disregarding others’ feelings, particularly when confronted by past associates who let her down.

When the story seems weak, Brooks and his team draw power from the aesthetics. The transition from a divine perspective of a cozy, warm hug shared by a mother and daughter to the frosty, sorrowful atmosphere surrounding Alex’s solitary figure is striking. Handwriting reminiscent of a teenage girl adorns the screen during the montage where Alex achieves some goals, stirring nostalgia for past times. The uneasy dialogue between Alex and her distant father Samuel (José Zúñiga) as traffic whizzes past them highlights the vast rift in their relationship.

Refreshing traditional storylines by swapping genders, such as portraying the man as clumsy and having the woman chase after him to express her feelings, is no longer considered groundbreaking. Regrettably, the film’s messages carry about as much weight and relevance as a “live, laugh, love” plaque gathering dust on a forgotten shelf at HomeGoods. It’s amusing that for a movie aspiring to encourage us to take chances and rekindle our dreams, it instead finds comfort in predictable, formulaic struggles and antics to convey its narrative.

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2025-03-28 10:19