Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno appear in AM I OK? by Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Emily Knecht.
There seems to be an unwritten rule in our society that everyone must have their lives figured out by the time they’re the arbitrary age of thirty. Of course, some people do have complete self understanding by then, but oftentimes it seems like most of us are children running around playing dress up, hoping one of the personas we try on will finally fit and make sense. We hope it’ll finally make us accomplished (whatever that means), successful, and at peace with ourselves. Am I Ok?, written by Lauren Pomerantz and directed by Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, deftly defies the notion that a woman in her thirties must have her life figured out while also having this phase of her life totally revolve around finding a romantic partner.
Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) are best friends–the absolute kind, the kind reserved for the almost holy moniker of “BFFs”. The audience is immediately clued in to how intertwined these women are with the opening scene. Jane teases Lucy about how she knows exactly what Lucy will order at a diner they frequent. Of course, Jane is right, and Lucy tries to comically and covertly order by covering her face with a menu so Jane can’t see and mouthing it to the server. The audience can already tell that Lucy is somewhat uncomfortable and unsure of herself. Whereas Jane is the foil to Lucy. She has an air of confidence about her that escapes Lucy. She is self-assured and comfortable with herself. While Lucy almost floats through life never committing to one thing, Jane already has a steady job that will soon offer her a big promotion which will require her to move from Los Angeles back to London, England.
We are under the impression that these two know everything there is to know about one another, but Lucy has one secret that Jane doesn’t know. After a night out drinking that ensues when Jane tells Lucy about her promotion and London move, Lucy tearfully admits to Jane that she thinks she might be gay. It isn’t hard to figure out that she has been using Jane and their friendship as a sort of placeholder for her romantic life, and now that Jane is leaving, she is afraid because she now must face it without distraction. She is sad and frustrated with herself, “I feel so stupid. I should have figured this out by now.” She laments not exploring and not being as interested in sex before because it never seemed comfortable with men. Jane listens patiently and gently reassures her that everyone moves at different speeds, and it’s going to be ok. She vows to help Lucy in her journey of self discovery and to find her a girlfriend before she must move to London. The film then follows the women during this interim of finding their footing during these big life changes, missteps and all.
Dakota Johnson appears to be at the height of her powers in this film. She effortlessly embodies the character of Lucy. Her performance is nuanced and equal parts quiet, funny, and uncertain which is particularly moving during the scene where Lucy comes out to Jane. It is an extremely vulnerable and touching moment, and Johnson plays it flawlessly. Sonoya Mizuno is right beside Johnson, precisely attuned to that same wavelength. The strength, love, and concern that emanates from her movements, eyes, and tone is stunning. It’s a moment that is so quiet and comfortable between two best friends who love each other which is a kind of moment most of us have experienced with a friend or loved one at some point in our lives. Those moments that seem so safe and stretched out, listening to each other breathe in the quiet spaces in between baring souls to one another. It is the kind of chemistry and care that is usually only reserved for lifetime friendships, and these two women completely got it.
The intense intimacy that often comes with female friendship is put on full display in this film. Lucy and Jane have a special language, sleepovers, and even have a brief offhand discussion about wiping styles while one of them finishes up urinating. These kinds of discussions and mannerisms are so natural within a friendship between women. During the inevitable argument between the two characters, it is almost like a lovers’ quarrel or a breakup. It is so refreshing to see a film actually display the many facets of friendship and relationships amongst women. These relationships are so delicate and layered, but they are often dismissed in the film world by being displayed as vapid, dull, and only centered around discussing men. They are not fully developed. Even though Lucy is on a journey of self discovery and finding romance for the first time with a woman, romance is not the center of the story.
The script is breezy, fresh, and never bogged down throughout, so the film moves along at a swift pace. The direction is warm—never lingering in a moment for too long but always taking the right amount of time for more vulnerable moments. Although it is not laugh out loud hilarious, there are more than enough genuinely funny moments to balance out the more heartbreaking and painful ones. That is usually all a film needs–just the right balance of those elements. Dakota Johnson tackles the darker and more biting humor easily while the outright element of silliness is injected by the character of Kat (Molly Gordon), who is slowly driving an awkward wedge between Lucy and Jane, and an absurdly funny cameo by director, Tig Notaro.
There have been plenty of coming of age tales involving people in their teens and twenties, but it is past due that we get more involving people who are still stumbling along their paths at aged thirty and beyond. Maybe it’s time we got rid of the label “late bloomer.” Like Lucy figures out, it’s ok to move at a different speed and no one person’s journey is the same. It is truly rare that anyone knows exactly who they are by thirty, and if we all stopped growing as people by age twenty-nine, life would be terribly boring and dull. Despite the film having some formulaic points, it is a beautiful and touching exploration of self-discovery and female friendship. This sometimes scary and messy journey is taken with great care and just the right amounts of humor and sentimentality. It is a true breath of fresh air.
Am I OK? had its World Premiere in the Premieres section of Sundance Film Festival 2022
Director: Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne
Writer: Lauren Pomerantz
Rated: NR
Runtime: 86m
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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When I’m not busy daydreaming or having an existential crisis, I can usually be found watching a movie or TV, listening to music or a podcast, or with my nose in a book.