The Lifeguard

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Hagrid L May 29, 2018 This movie was ok, as it is not entirely unreasonable to want to have more fun and less responsibility. It was directed by a woman and the ideal fantasy of a sizable majority of women is that they can misbehave and/or be irresponsible, and then be tolerated, rewarded or even appreciated for such behavior. Let us call this scenario the 'female power fantasy', and note that it is brought to life once again in this movie. The male power fantasy is basically to be the hero and save the day, as production is expected out of men. If the concept of a female power fantasy interests you then here is an excellent video about this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5KlGljHT8g? . See more

Hermione S Oct 28, 2017 The Lifeguard gets something really wrong about Indie films. To see beauty or truth in unlikely or deceptively pedestrian places is awesome; but that's not what The Lifeguards does. It presents silly immature people doing silly immature things. Even the obligatory "redemption" at the end is culled from the self-importance and sentimentalism of junior high journals rather than a mature vision of the world. The characters do not grow, they just suffer because they did dumb stuff. An über-hip sound track can't save a film like this... insetead it emphasizes how lost it is in its lack of awareness. Like silly people, it needs a sound track to reassure itself it's saying something worth saying. See more

Harry G Jul 14, 2017 The movie was boring until it turned disgusting.

Rey W Mar 3, 2017 The final shot breaking the fourth wall almost undoes everything, but otherwise this film holds up nicely. I love the character interactions between youth and adult - it's so risqué and yet normalized over the course of its awkwardness. That they develop into a kind of quasi-posse is actually exciting. A lot of times we see these cliques form of people that should never be friends, and we really embrace that. Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men... But that's contrived, they are aiming at selling us on this should-never-be status, but meanwhile we know what they're driving at. Here, the forbidden is clear with stakes raises by having an assistant principal involved who knows all these youths through school - she definitely knows she shouldn't be here, but she feels more free amongst them. It creates conflict at home with her conservative, money man, adult-oriented husband John, perfectly embodied by Joshua Harto. The core of the group are Leigh, Todd, Little Jason, and Matt. There's an odd moment that kind of works when director Garcia sidesteps Todd and Matt getting to know one another, something which will further develop. It's at this point the camera focuses on a two-shot ensconcing Leigh and Little Jason intimately as they get to know one another over some pot. The moonlight may backlights them a bit too stark, but I appreciate that it's there to create some separation and add an element to the scene that'd otherwise be muddled in a muted navy blue. What this isolation does is it allows for Matt and Todd to develop without having to contrive a lengthy dialogue - we need to keep Leigh and Little Jason the central focus, but we'd like to know that each time we arrive at the Todd and Matt, there's more to their story. Also, not knowing just what they're developing allows us to wonder for a moment whether or not what Todd is doing to Matt later is acceptable to Matt... It is definitely not, and creates such mistrust that it leads to his ultimate demise, having nobody left to trust or care about in Ridgefield, CT. Cinematographer does a quality job setting director's stage, keeping the frame interesting at all times. Use of wide-lens is select, but poignant. There's a low angle capturing Bell at her lifeguard chair near the rail. There's them driving through the field, recapturing their youth, wide lens freely panning around to create a sense of dizzying freedom. There's a shot framing the four adults a the table of a restaurant oddly placed in front of a gas station, whose parking lot is inhabited by skaters. It stands out without anyone having to point it out, and I'd of preferred they left it that way rather than the cheesy cutaways that come later in the scene. Its as if Garcia was backing herself up, not confident that framing them wide, in focus, and spotlit in the BG would do the job. It's an ugly shot with the gas station, but it's kind of supposed to be, and I ultimately like what it foretells. These worlds of adult and youth are going to mere, FUELING the flames that ignite illicitly -- they are later at a youth party with some kind of bonfire going. See more

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The Lifeguard

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