Daryn (Jaden Smith) has all of his ducks in a row. He’s a straight A student, a record-holding high school track star, and is a shoo-in at Harvard University. This is until he meets a girl, Isabelle (Cara Delevingne), and everything that he thought he wanted doesn’t make much sense anymore. When Daryn finds out that Isabelle has less than a year to live he is determined to give her the chance to live her entire Life in a Year. With his goals thrown to the wayside and one hundred percent of his focus on making the last year of Isabelle’s life perfect, much of the rest of his life begins to suffer. Daryn now has a decision to make: Isabelle or his future?
Jaden reminds me so much of his father; his facial expressions, tone of voice, mannerisms, and even the occasional flaw scream “Will Smith!” Sadly, as talented as Jaden is, the fact that he is so much like his father can be distracting to viewers. On the flip side, however, with Will Smith being one of the better actors in Hollywood for the past twenty-something years, viewers are able to understand just how talented the young Smith is. Life in a Year is Jaden’s first chance as an adult to show the world what he’s made of, to step out of the shadow of his father and to become his own man. While, as previously mentioned, there are moments when Will Smith is present, Jaden does a wonderful job of proving to the world that even without his parents’ direction he is sure to find success in anything that he does. Life in a Year allows him to showcase not just his ability as an actor, but as a musical performer as well.
The music strewn throughout Life in a Year, regardless of the genre, is enjoyable, but constantly eerie and uncomfortable, mirroring the tone of the film. Viewers become completely engulfed in what is taking place as the music pulls them further and further into the story of Daryn and Isabelle. Viewers are able to feel the suspense and the heartbreak of their relationship, making them feel like part of the story. As viewers become more and more invested in their relationship, it becomes much easier to appreciate every subtlety of what occurs between the two characters. While the acting and the writing are well done overall, the music is what makes this aspect of the viewer experience possible.
Life in a Year is a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking story of a young couple, and while the story is well received, there are moments of choppiness that feel incomplete. At certain points throughout the film it appears as if writers Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, as well as director Mitja Okorn, were unable to effectively conclude milestone moments. As these moments come to an abrupt end and a new scene quickly follows, viewers have no choice but to piece things together on their own, sometimes without enough context to be sure if they are correct.
All in all, Life in a Year hits the nail on the head and viewers are able to understand the meaningful relationship between Daryn and Isabelle. A combination of Smith, Delevingne, and the soundtrack bring the struggles of young love and debilitating diseases to life. Even with some hiccups along the way, Life in a Year manages to reach audiences as Okorn intended. Tears seem inevitable to anyone with a soul as it antagonizes the heartstrings of everyone watching from early on. There are many things to like about Life in a Year, but the most prominent is Smith; and, if there is one thing that viewers take from the film, it should be that he has a bright future.
Directed by Mitja Okorn.
Written by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews.
Starring Jaden Smith, Cara Delevingne, Cuba Gooding Jr., Nia Long, Chris D’Elia, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments