“The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry” initially canters on for 30 minutes being a cute feel-good Harlequinesque romance and then darkens quickly and becomes haunted by tragedy, jealousy, infidelity and a whole host of evil vibes. But through this transition from light and fluffy in the immediate moments it spans over a decade. You are patting yourself on the back for 30 minutes knowing exactly where the film is heading. Yes you may be partially correct as A.J. and Amelia fall predictably in love. Yawn.
But as you become complacent the film takes a twist and becomes complicated and far more complicated and emotional spinning off in directions you thought it not capable of attaining. At some point the cheesy film morphs into an epic worthy of your reflection and perhaps a few tears. The beautiful people you thought were beautiful are all terribly flawed except perhaps for that little abandoned girl Maya that gives life and meaning to many lost souls.
And yes the power of the book to kill, unite, divide and cause great happiness and insight. An initially lightweight amusing piece of fluff transforms itself into a far more serious film worthy of a watch if you get off your pompous ass and give it the attention it deserves. I watch mostly indie films but this has the potential to climb in the box office without having to appeal to those whose intellectual ability stops with “Top Gun Maverick”. Yes I saw that sad film on my Air Canada flight back from Athens to Toronto a couple of weeks ago.
On October 7th the film is to be launched in 9 Canadian cities.
Solid acting throughout totally absent of cheese! This is no ‘Gone with the Wind” but its future is far brighter than a cheese ball romantic romp.
You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqhHtZncOPI
Based on Gabrielle Zevin’s best selling (New Yok Times) novel.
RKS Film Rating 91/100.
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