Lucy and Jane are best friends in a very Los Angeles, very millennials kind of way. They know each other’s lunch orders by heart, e.g., Jane telling Lucy, “You’re going to get a Veggie Burger with sweet potato fries,” they attend trendy yoga classes where the instructor says, “Thank you all for letting me be part of your process today,” they shoot each other knowing glances whenever a third party is introduced into their world, as if to say, “Oh yes, we WILL be dissecting this person later.” They text each other all the time.
If you were sitting near them in a bar or a coffee shop, you might be annoyed by their swift, irony-laced banter. If you got to know them, to spend time with them, as we do in “Am I OK?”, you’d realize they’re actually both quite wonderful and smart and vulnerable and lovely. Their friendship is the thing that gets them through the absurd vagaries of life, and the curveballs that create self-doubt and tears.
Dakota Johnson is Lucy and Sonoya Mizuno is Jane in “Am I OK?”, which is co-directed by the talented actors and real-life partners Stephanie Allyne and Tig Notaro, who display a deft storytelling touch in adapting the crackling good screenplay by Lauren Pomerantz. Just a few weeks after the release of the hilarious, hard-edged, New York-set female buddy comedy “Babes,” we’re treated to another friend-com, this time featuring characters on the opposite coast, who are just a little bit younger and quite a bit less worldly, but equally likable.
Johnson and Mizuno have an easy and comfortable chemistry; the acting is utterly authentic in their exchanges, whether Lucy and Jane engage in a slightly ridiculous debate about which half of which muffin will be consumed before a hike, or air it out in the kind of knockdown, drag-out, let-me-tell-you-how-I-really feel fight you almost always get in romantic comedies and/or best friend films.
With cinematographer Cristina Dunlap delivering bright and idyllic Southern California visuals, “Am I OK?” is set in a breezy and hip and insulated L.A., where the somewhat socially hesitant Lucy works as a receptionist at a spa with an ocean view, though she still dreams of being an artist. (Someone often has a dream of being an artist in these stories. There’s usually a whole batch of paintings and art supplies in a closet or a garage).
The more self-assured Jane, who moved from London to L.A. when she was 16, has some kind of “Emily in Paris” type marketing/branding gig at a company that has headquarters with the requisite open spaces, exposed brick walls, ping-pong table, modern kitchen with a bowl of fresh fruit, glass-walled offices, etc. Sean Hayes is a hoot as Jane’s spacey boss, Stu, who calls her into his office and says, “Jane, you’re from London, right? I’m sharp enough to pick up on this twang.” Stu offers Jane the opportunity to move back to London and open an office there, explaining, “There’s a chocolate company that wants to give Cadbury a real run for its Bunny.” Ha.
Lucy feigns excitement for Jane but is clearly terrified at the prospect of them being separated — especially because at the age of 32, Lucy has just now figured out that she’s a lesbian. Jane immediately declares, “For you to enter into this fray, you’re gonna be a star in the lesbian community,” and makes it her mission to help Lucy have her first gay experiences, while Lucy isn’t so sure she’s ready. (Lucy is never sure she’s ready for anything new in life.)
“Am I OK?” hits a number of familiar beats and introduces a handful of supporting characters who are relatively thinly drawn but still make an impression, in large part due to some excellent casting. Jermaine Fowler is Danny, Jane’s nice-guy boyfriend of eight years, who loves Jane but has yet to fully commit after all this time. Kiersey Clemons is a life force as a confident masseuse who has a thing for Lucy and might be the perfect “first experience” for her. Molly Gordon, playing the polar opposite of her Claire character on “The Bear,” is Jane’s annoyingly upbeat and free-spirited co-worker Kat. Notaro is her usual deadpan hilarious self as Sheila, who runs a Hammock Sanctuary in the woods and proclaims, “Like the bosoms of our foremothers, the hammock cradles us.” Sure, why not.
This is sweet and smart film. I loved the ending and I’m sure that’s the end of our time with Lucy and Jane — but if this had served as a feature-length pilot for a series, it would have been great to see the next chapters in their respective lives. We truly wish for them the happiness they deserve.
