Matthew Shear has made an impressive debut as a writer and director with Fantasy Life. The film may be a bit meandering and doesn't feel luck it carries much weight. But it's pleasant, offering a meaty role to Peet who steps up. It might be a bit more "slice of life" and have less to say that I might have preferred, but it is still a rather awkwardly enjoyable story with loveable characters.
Shear is judicious and efficient with his storytelling, not lingering long in any one moment or event. He often allows characters to refer to what happened without always showing it all to us. This lets us infer things. There is space here for imagination. He is inviting us to participate in the story somewhat.
Fantasy Life is often quite organically funny without ever being about jokes. The humour comes from the situations and the characters, who most bungle through life and manage despite themselves.
Casting Hirsh, Martin, Balaban, and Harper is a wonderful choice as they fill the screen with life and laughs, again very organically. Allowing himself and Peet to carry the more dramatic weight of the film.
Still there isn't a lot of weight here. I think that's sort of the point. He's telling a story about rather regular Joes who just can't seem to quite find their grooves but without a lot of tragedy. This story lives in a middle space that sort of just breathes and fumbles.
Fantasy Life
Starring: Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin, Zosia Mamet, Jessica Harper, Holland Taylor
Writer/Director: Matthew Shear
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