Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
AshUnow
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Haven Kaycee
It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
lavatch
At first glance, "Easy Living" appears to a Lifetime-style film about a woman who is highly motivated to turn her life around. Her alcoholism led her to abandon her daughter to the care and upbringing of her sister. But now, Sherry is now a dynamic direct-to-consumer salesperson of cosmetics.In the opening scene of the film, the protagonist confidently proclaims that "I am the architect of my life." Her motivational practices have clearly instilled in her some good skills in sales, as she works efficiently in knocking on doors and making some earnings on commission.But as the film develops, we see another, insecure side of Sherry where she resides in a motel, picks up men in bars, and has failed over a ten-year period to contribute financially to the upbringing of her daughter. Sherry is sensitive to a stray dog and has genuine rapport with her clients. But to the people who matter most in her life, she is oddly distant. It doesn't help that she is drinking heavily and avoiding her AA meetings.There was a salient moment in the film where Sherry walks into the bedroom of her sister to borrow a shirt, so she can have a tryst with a man who has yet to finalize his divorce. When Sherry opens the drawer, she discovers her sister's gun and holds it up to the mirror, as if preparing to shoot. By that time in the film, Sherry is so unpredictable that basically anything can happen, especially when she takes the gun with her without informing the sister.As it turns out, the gun figures prominently in the bizarre conclusion of the film. The ending involves a plot twist that makes the film inherently dishonest. One question to ponder at the end is the following: There are instances when people have won lotteries, and their lives take an ironic turn for the worse because of their good luck. It should be fairly clear that if Sherry won a Powerball jackpot, she would eventually return to reside in the shabby motel room.
mtjohnson-61001
The movie is about Sherry, a sex addict, bar star who has finally decided to start thinking about her future. Sherry while quirky her life is a wreck, she lives out of a cheap motel, sells makeup door to door, seeks out random one night stands at her local bar and left her daughter to be raised by her sister. Despite what her life has been she has decided to turn it around and developed a dream but lacks the way to fund it. That is, until an unexpected stranger gets in to her car. Without giving to much of the movie away this is where I straddled the fence with where the plot evolved. It was difficult to grasp that a woman in this situation would respond this way but then I realized Sherry is a sex addict. It's worth the watch for something different.
robplonskier
A truly excellent character study, anchored by strong, believable performances and nuanced writing. Sherry's struggle with getting herself onto the ladder that she has until now ignored, and the existential despair that entails, is easy to relate to. The director (Adam Keleman) imbues the proceedings with a touch of absurdity, just enough to make it feel as if the universe is aligned against her. And a jarring final act initially seems out of place until it fits squarely into Sherry's path towards self-actualization. A tiny gem.
skele-16361
Enjoyed this indie. Great character study of unique woman. Everyone can identify w their own life w lousy times. Caroline provided outstanding acting. She showed her true range. The supporting cast are stabilizing characters to the main character. Nice that it previewed at several film festivals. Nice first movie for new writer/director Adam Keleman. Looking forward to his next project.