Movie with Abe: Forev

Forev
Directed by Molly Green and James Leffler
Released May 15, 2014 on DVD and VOD

Sometimes, you don’t need a big budget or a well-known cast to make a great movie. Independent films are supposed to be a launching pad for fresh new talent, and it can make the experience of watching a movie so much more impactful to not recognize any of the actors in it. There’s a certain excitement that comes with realizing a movie is good purely on its own merits, and not because of any outside factors related to production or paychecks. That’s the case with the new comedy “Forev,” which arrives today on multiple home video platforms.

“Forev” begins with a drunk Sophie (Noël Wells) stumbling into the wrong apartment with a guy she has just met. She realizes her mistake when she sees her neighbor Pete (Matt Mider), who doesn’t stop eating his pizza while looking on in amazement as Sophie and her date almost have sex right in front of him. After Sophie asks her new friend to leave, she grabs a slice of pizza before bidding Pete good night. The next day, after a miserable audition, Sophie bursts into Pete’s apartment, lies down on his floor, and vows never to get up. A bit of quick conversation leads to the notion of the two of them getting married and a hastily accepted suggestion that Sophie accompany Pete on the six-hour drive to Phoenix to pick up his sister Jess (Amanda Bauer). Predictable car trouble is the least of their worries, as a mix of humorous and serious conversations populate their long adventure on the road.

“Forev” is a film that extensively utilizes dialogue, allowing its three main characters to converse almost incessantly for nearly ninety minutes. A rich screenplay feels unrehearsed and marvelously unscripted. Its actors, however, truly make it work. Mider plays Pete as a kindhearted, completely oblivious everyman who isn’t inherently or excessively nerdy, yet doesn’t possess tremendous social skills. Bauer makes Jess an opinionated, clever character who considers herself just as crucial to the story as the central couple. Wells, who currently stars on “Saturday Night Live,” is particularly marvelous, giving Sophie a fantastic energy and spirit, always ready to entertain the siblings with whom she rides even if she can’t entertain herself. All of these actors’ interactions are so genuine, and the film succeeds in staying strong even when the illusion falls apart and reality has to set in. It’s a truly delightful treat, one that’s involving, amusing, and completely enjoyable.

A-