In the 1990s, a group of scientists built a biosphere in the Arizona desert to replicate life in an enclosed, controlled environment, ala the moon or Mars. They learned a few important lessons about how different plants, animals, and organisms reacted to Earth-like conditions in a “foreign” setting, particularly regarding tree development. It turns out that trees growing in a dome, without any natural wind to strengthen their growth, collapse and die, as they never develop the ‘stress wood’ necessary for maturity.
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“Fantasy Life” features three of these trees in human form, exploring how all the privilege, money, and social currency in the world can’t guarantee happiness or purpose. It opens with middle-aged New Yorker Sam (Matthew Shear) learning that he’s been fired from his law firm. Sam tells his therapist, Fred (Judd Hirsch), that this development doesn’t bother him as much as his secret and persistent feelings of self-loathing do, and a sudden collapse/panic attack at a bookstore indicates there’s even more conflict bubbling inside of him. Following Sam’s session, Fred’s receptionist/wife recalls that their adult son, David (Alessandro Nivola), is in desperate need of childcare for his three pre-teen daughters, and before anyone realizes it, he becomes the family’s de facto nanny.
The movie jumps ahead a few months to show how close Sam has grown to the kids and their mom, Dianne (Amanda Peet), while David is off on tour with his band. The family is comfortably situated in Manhattan’s upper crust through their generational wealth and Dianne’s pre-mom time as a Hollywood actress. Yet, there’s a funk that everyone seems to be working themselves out of. It’s all a bit messy, as Sam is visibly in love with Dianne by this point, and while she doesn’t seem to feel the same way, she appreciates the attention in an almost resentful way only a frustrated spouse can.
Shear’s performance in the lead is a brave one, as Sam is both physically and emotionally uninspiring, and except for his kind heart, doesn’t have a lot going for him. Like the trees in the biosphere, Sam, Dianne, and David have plenty of protection and advantages for the stressors of the real world, yet they seem weak in their foundations and quick to collapse when trying to navigate their emotions.
Shear also wrote and directed “Fantasy Life,” and while it sometimes feels a little Woody Allen-lite, the comparison is only skin-deep. Sure, this is a story about a neurotic, lonely, middle-aged New York shlub, but he isn’t the center of this universe, and he’s surrounded on all sides by similarly unhappy and unmoored people.
With three beautiful girls, disposable income, and a Manhattan townhouse that would make Carrie Bradshaw blush, Dianne and David SHOULD be happy and connected and at peace…but they’re not. Just like Sam SHOULD be content to ride out a cushy, long-term babysitting gig while he figures out his next move, and yet he can’t help but wander into the same doom loop that brought him there.
A lot of people these days are feeling a sense of dread and inadequacy for reasons that don’t make much sense on the surface, but are real all the same. It’s easy to discount one’s own pain as insignificant compared to the plight of others or the broader disintegration of Western society, yet “Fantasy World” advocates for its recognition. In David, Dianne, and Sam, Shear makes a convincing argument that bottling up or denying this pain is a recipe for disaster.
The movie is sparse on score, wardrobe, and stylistic visual choices, keeping the attention focused on the actors and the drama building to a crescendo. And while Shear and Nivola are great, Peet is the MVP of the main trio, and seems the most in tune with her character’s struggles (or at the very least, the most aware of what’s actually going on in this chaotic little love triangle). Shear makes certain that all of the scenes are well lit and staged, and is that rare writer/director/star who isn’t afraid to cut or trim scenes to keep things moving.
The brisk pacing of “Fantasy Life” is a credit to this editorial restraint, yet it also leads to one of the production’s few stumbles: its refusal to offer a satisfying, narratively cohesive ending. Even so, the film stands well on its own. While the important particulars of the story are addressed, along with the thematic elements at play vis-à-vis adversity, intimacy, and maturity, it feels a little like a story in search of a conclusion.
And maybe that’s the point, because Shear has created very familiar, textured characters whose whole hang-up is inescapable dread and self-loathing despite every advantage and privilege. Were this to feel complete and satisfying, that would be like…well…it would be unnatural, kind of like a tree standing tall on the moon or Mars. [B]
Warren Cantrell is a film and music critic based out of Seattle, Washington. Mr. Cantrell has covered the Sundance and Seattle International Film Festivals, and provides regular dispatches for Scene-Stealers.com. Warren holds a B.A. and M.A. in History, and his hobbies include bourbon drinking, novel writing, and full-contact kickboxing.
