Adult Life Skills – Review

Are you still a twin when the other sibling passes away? This is the question that eats up Anna inside, one that lingers, that she struggles to quite comprehend or find an answer to. It’s this vulnerable protagonist who takes centre stage in Rachel Tunnard’s debut feature film Adult Life Skills, which has a unique take on the notion of grief, a prevalent theme studied in an intriguing way.

Anna (Jodie Whittaker) has become something of a recluse, living at the foot of her mother’s (Lorraine Ashbourne) garden. With her 30^th birthday approaching, it brings back a host of painful memories, for it’s not intended to be a day that celebrates her birth, but that of her twin brother’s, who had died not too long ago. Facing up to her adulthood, Anna is presented with an ultimatum: to move out and get on with her life rather than moping around making videos with her thumbs. But she’s reluctant to face up to the real world, and as a result is inadvertently unaware that the local estate agent Brendan (Brett Goldstein) is, and always has been, in love with her.

Those approaching 30 sure do have some brilliant films that appeal very directly to their demographic, to try to make sense of a rather tumultuous time in many people’s lives, where you feel far too young to know what you’re doing, and yet you’re old enough to know better. Other features such as Frances Ha and Obvious Child also address this theme, but it’s refreshing to see it tackled from a very distinctively endearingly low-key British perspective. There is a somewhat contrived injection of whimsicality however, which is detrimental to proceedings, but the film is grounded by its sheer emotionality, that derives from what is ultimately a rather tragic set of circumstances, no matter how they may be dressed up.

Anna is a wonderful entry point for the viewer to embody, for she’s remarkably flawed, which is essential in forming that bond between the audience and the character, as she’s so easy to relate to. The casting of Whittaker helps matters tremendously too, as she’s a distinctly likeable actress, and one that completely, and utterly, demands our investment.