Feature Film Review

Film Info:
She Lives Her Life is a modern day retelling of Jean-Luc Godard's 1962 film Vivre Sa Vie.  The movie is told in 12 chapters as we follow Betsy through a series of relationships and encounters, by day she works at a pawn shop, by night she lives her life.

Written By: Mark Thimijan,
Karis Yanike
Directed By: Mark Thimijan
Genre: Drama
77 Minutes

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SHE LIVES HER LIFE ( 2014 )

  She Lives Her Life is basically the retelling of a classic. So I'm told. I personally received this particular film because I have not seen the referenced film "Vivre Sa Vie" and am thus able to write my review with an uncluttered mind. Does my ignorance of the original version alter the review? Probably. As they say though, an outside look is sometimes a more honest one. Right?
  There is a story to be told here with a pacing that's good enough to keep you guessing what the next scene may hold. It's all wrapped together with a stylization that is as unique as the film itself. There's no question that She Lives Her Life is an art piece and it doesn't try to hide it. Nor should it. The unusual styling is literally going to make you like it or hate it. I would have loved to have written "Love it or Hate it" but I feel that's not really the case here. There are simply to many technical problems that hold the film back. Let's get into those.
  During the course of the film we are treated to numerous inconsistencies. Some scenes look great while others simply don't. From shot setups and movement to static shots and blocking, She Lives Her Life is all over the place! The same can be said with the acting itself. Sometimes really damn great! Other times coming across as scripted or hollow. How's the actual audio you ask? Same old story. Sometimes decent, sometimes not so much. I completely understand that this film was put together with an almost non-existent budget. However, in this day and age you can get some pretty damn good results with almost no money. The real issue for me though, is simply that there are certain spots in this film that probably could have been tweaked for nothing or next to it. These are the same parts that feel a little rushed simply to complete the film. It's this unbalanced nature that really detracts from what this film represents.
  I really need the reader to understand that this is not a bad film. Like I wrote above, there is so much good to offer you'd be missing out if you didn't give it a view. The good outweigh the bad in every respect!  She Lives Her Life at it's heart is a pretty decent piece of entertainment! Topping that all off is a variety of cool content sure to please a large amount of people. I love that later on in the film we get a short history lesson on the origin of Pawn Shops! What a great small addition! The simple fact I watched through from start to finish is a huge green light to any potential viewers reading this little blurb. The fact I did it easily is an even better indication.
  The bottom line is that She Lives Her Life is a great Indie flick that suffers a few minor issues. Mostly of the technical nature. I realize this is a re-make of sorts but for me it was fresh and unique. As it sits, for me this was an above average movie. With a little tweaking in the post department it could have earned another full point on the rating scale.
-MC

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