'You Can Live Forever' Can't Bring Its Love Story to Life

Directed by Mark Slutsky and Sarah Watts

Starring Anwen O'Discoll, June Laporte, Liane Balaban, Antoine Yared, Hasani Freeman, Deragh Campbell, Tim Campbell

Photo: Gayle Ye

BY Marie SaadehPublished Mar 24, 2023

5
You Can Live Forever is a charming, if tropey, queer coming-of-age tale that's unfortunately clouded with predictability and a lacklustre script. The film takes place in a Jehovah's Witness community in Saguenay, QC. When teenager Jaime (Anwen O'Driscoll) leaves Thunder Bay, ON, to reluctantly stay with her aunt and uncle in Saguenay after her father's death, she attends religious meetings at their request, even as a non-believer.

As Jaime struggles to become acclimated to her new surroundings, meeting Marike (June Laporte) starts to turn things around, and the two develop an intense love affair in secret. Jaime finds herself attending church services and even doing door-to-door visits with Marike, just to spend more time with her. As their connection grows, Marike seems to remain solid in her faith despite their forbidden relationship.

This is by no means the first film to depict queer love in a religious community (notably, Sebastián Lelio's Disobedience takes place in an Orthodox Jewish community), but You Can Live Forever stands out in its exploration of this narrative in a Jehovah's Witness context. But any curiosity for the film's inviting premise is distracted pretty early on by how uninteresting the script is. What could have been a captivating plot is dulled by flat dialogue and a storyline that can't break away from familiar tropes.

When Jaime first meets Marike at church, the two are sitting on different sides of the assembly. Jaime seems out of place and uncomfortable until she spots Marike across the room and, suddenly, she's infatuated. Euphoric music overlays the church song as Marike turns around to look behind at Jaime with a lingering flirtatious smile. And with that magical exchange, it's pretty easy to see exactly how the film will play out. Though the moment serves as an exaggeration of young love's intensity, it's a bit corny.

Jaime and Marike develop a romantic relationship that materializes without a ton of chemistry. This works in the sense that it reflects the nature of teenage romance, but it doesn't invite much investment into what is building throughout the film. The muted and often awkward script leaves the characters needing further development and the film lacking in subtlety overall. It feels like most of what we're supposed to know about the characters and what they're thinking is practically handed over to us, leaving little room for personal interpretation or suspense.

Despite this, some scenes really indulge in the restrained passion the pair experiences together. When Jaime and Marike go on a double movie date with boys from church, viewers remain in tune with their connection, in contrast to what's taking place around them. And every time Jaime gives in to joining Marike in religious activities despite her own beliefs, Jaime's yearning to be with her is palpable. 

O'Driscoll and Laporte deliver solid performances in their roles within the bounds of the writing, and there is something to be taken from how faith both inhibits and facilitates their relationship. Marike's character shows us that being queer and true to one's faith can coexist. Jaime's desire to make sense of this seemingly impossible duality brings her closer to Marike, even if it means getting hurt. 

In exploring their relationship, Canadian co-writers/directors Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky find some nuance in the push and pull between believing and unbelieving in their feature debut. Though the film wasn't based on her personal story, Watts grew up gay in a Jehovah's Witness community, which might be why she avoids painting either side as clearly better or worse.

In some ways, the lack of conviction in Jaime and Marike's love affair might be the ultimate portrayal of queer adolescent love, especially when it's forced into hiding. Romantic relationships at that age can become so intense in a short period of time without much substance, especially amid confusion and pressure from strict religious institutions. But this takeaway isn't enough to avoid frustration after watching this feature; a film with this plotline has the potential to leave its audience shattered, but You Can Live Forever just leaves us wanting to feel more.
(Mongrel Media)

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