They say that you know when you want to spend the rest of your life with someone. I guess I’m something of a hopeless romantic. I thought that about quite a few different girls. To be fair I was also a teenager and didn’t really know anything about life; let alone love. Then I stopped dating and looking for anything. I was at a point in my life where I just needed to grow and work on myself. Then, much like Regina George, a giant bus hit me dead on. I met the woman who would become my wife.
It was a cold night in January and I was on tour at the time. I stepped in front of a small crowd, much like every night on the tour, and did our normal routine. The only thing different about this night was I asked the crowd to gather and pray for some friends of mine from this area. Apparently this was a big deal to my wife. She messaged my band on Facebook and from there we exchanged numbers. It would be another six months before we would ever be in the same room again. It would only take six days for me to reach the realization I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.
This wasn’t the same hopeless romantic feeling that I felt back in my youth. This was the genuine real deal. When you know, you know - even if you don’t get that long with the person. In 2015, that was the love story of Jessica Carter and Sol Chau. The two met, married ,and Chau died 128 days after their wedding. They are the inspiration behind the new movie All My Life. The movie depicts their story from start to untimely finish. Despite its rather dim third act the movie is rather heartwarming and charming. A large portion of that charm is due to the immaculate chemistry between Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum Jr. This movie takes the viewer through a hurricane of emotions and their chemistry as the focal point is the backbone of the film. It’s truly incredible just how well they work together.
Outside of one another is a different story however. Shum is the emotional core of the movie. His dramatic work in Life is top-tier. Though I never could find the same response to Rothe. Rothe, who has made a name for herself in the Happy Death Day movies, is more than capable of warming your heart, and making you smile or laugh. She’s terrific at the lighter tones of the movie, though she never quite reaches Shum’s ability to carry the film. Even the dramatic aspects of this movie feel second nature. This movie is supposed to be tonally more aligned with A Walk to Remember, not When Harry Met Sally.
That is where the real problematic elements lie. The story of Jessica and Sol, the real life inspiration for this movie, is a devastating yet hopeful story. Life never reaches that with the exception of one monologue in the final shot. Due to the fact that it is missing those elements, it comes across as a formulaic movie devoid of the emotion it was aiming for. Life is a marvelous date night movie. It works well as a romantic comedy. I found myself laughing more times than I can remember. Its supporting cast features Saturday Night Live alums John Rudnitsky and Jay Pharaoh. The movie is paced fantastically well, setting up beautiful shots along its way.
Overall, All My Life trades in its inspiration for a traditional approach to the romantic comedy formula. Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum Jr. have tremendous chemistry, easily delighting audiences from their awkward, yet charming, beginnings to their heartbreaking end. The movie misses out on the ability to grow out of the familiar of rom-com standard to a compelling drama. Which is a shame, as I would have loved to see what Rothe and Shum could have done with the dramatic. Despite its shortcomings, All My Life will still warm the socks off.
RORSCHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: I know that not everyone reading this right now is going to be married. Perhaps you’re widowed, divorced, separated, or just plain single in regard to your significant other. If you are any of these things, stick with me. I’ve had the pleasure of being married nearly seven years. I’ve learned a lot in those years, and even in the few years we were together before that. Much like Jessica and Sol finding one another; I found my wife. I found someone who I can depend on no matter what. If you fall into any of the four camps I mentioned at the beginning of this I would still challenge you to find that someone. Even if it’s a best friend, I can honestly say I didn’t know how big of a difference my wife had made in my life until I found her. Find someone who you can be vulnerable with. It’s an incredibly powerful weapon for your mental health.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. All My Life is property of Universal Pictures. We do not own nor claim any rights. All My Life is now playing in theaters.
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