Review of The Lifeguard (2013) by Azeem H — 26 Dec 2014

This film offered very little surprises, it was Kristen Bell's attempt at being serious, in the style of Anne Hathaway's Rachel Getting Married. The film itself isn't particularly terrible. It's just very derivative in it's message.

Kristen Bell's character Leigh has a bit of a nervous breakdown as her relationship with her boss ends up going nowhere and the journalist pieces she writes ends up depressing her. So she decides to come home for the summer and reconnect with her youth, which includes getting her old summer job of being a lifeguard at a local pool.

In many ways while the plot is refreshing in terms of focusing someone turning 30 having an identity crisis, usually it's someone in their 40s or their early twenties. The film hardly makes you care about the character, she isn't particularly likeable, you sort of end up feeling that she is acting like a big kid, and even ends up having a sexual relationship with the 16 year old son of the pools caretaker.

While Bell does show some dramatic range, the film I personally belongs to Mamie Gummer (who I thought looked very familiar, turns out to be Meryl Streep's daughter) and Joshua Harto (the blackmailer from The Dark Knight). Their story of trying to have a baby is actually well handled and very mature. By the end though after a tragedy occurs and Bell's character ends up growing up and seeing the light in this case literally.

The film is solidly directed, well acted and well-meaning, it follows through on various plots some you can see coming a mile away. I mean the message of it's okay to be in your 30s be unsure of yourself while admirable doesn't particularly offer anything new in terms of social commentary.

Still an enjoyable if at times laboured film.