It’s Just a Phase Honey (2021 | Germany | 105 minutes | Florian Gallenberger)
A lighter look at midlife crisis and how we define ourselves through the relationships we have. Emilia (Christiane Paul) a once well-received actress now stay at home mom is throwing a critical eye on her life and the once perfect relationship with her husband Paul (Christoph Maria Herbst). A once thriving, now waning career as a writer, he notices their love thinning out too, but attempts to throw some passion in the mix only to fail miserably. After an impulsive one night stand Emilia confronts Paul, confesses, and in a fit of frustration they decide a separation might throw some gas on their once fiery romance or at least cast a light on something that might not be salvageable. Paul spends most of their time apart miserable and desperate to get her back. Emilia isn’t so convinced and begins seeing the sexy young thing she’d had a fling with. As they both start to settle into this new normal, they realize there’s a lot more to what they had together than just kids and memories.
Midlife crisis comedies aren’t a new concept, but I was intrigued by the the flipped tropes. It was the wife that decided she needs a break to discover herself with a younger lover this time. Not a lot else deviated from the norm here with Emilia discovering her blunders, but needing time away to see how important Paul is to her and Paul doing everything he can, including Home Alone style antics that brought his kids in on the hijinks (this bothered me, he supposedly loved them but confused the hell out of them by pulling them into his bad behavior, loneliness, and depression). It had sweet and fun moments to be sure, but it wrapped up too prettily. Life, and especially love, is messy… but I’ll take this one as it’s meant to be: a rom-com about a married couple learning to find each other again.
It’s Just a Phase, Honey screened as part of the 48th Seattle International Film Festival, it is represented by Beta Cinema.
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