You Can Live Forever (2022) User Reviews

"Not gonna let me go?"

[AfricanBro · 8/10 · 9 November 2023]

I didn't know what the movie was about beforehand, thought it'd be a forgettable teen romcom. You might connect more deeply if you're Jehovah's Witness or lesbian audiences, but even if you aren't, you can find familiarities with pretty much any religious community, and a good love story is a good love story, regardless. It does have its fair share of cheesiness and cliches, like the classic meet-cute, locking eyes across a crowded room, albeit set in a church. But who doesn't appreciate a bit of cheesy romance? The story is quite compelling, and the characters share a genuine connection and chemistry.

The beauty and heartbreak in Marike's face, as she navigated love, pain, and unwavering faith, were truly moving. Jaime's struggle as a non-believer and a lesbian in a close-knit Jehovah's Witness community. This film was a quiet and compassionate portrayal, it's relatively short, yet it took its time to build the romantic interest. It might not be best selling point for Jehovah's Witness, but I loved how Marike held onto her faith, especially the line, "I can believe enough for the both of us," which captured her emotional dilemma of choosing between her so unwavering faith and her forbidden first love.

I love that there isn't a clear antagonist among the main characters. It's clear that their situation couldn't lead to a happy ending: if they had run away, Marike would have felt the loss of leaving her faith behind, and if they had stayed, their pretense would have taken an emotional toll, as you can't keep up a charade 'cause you can't be sneaky links with the love of your life forever lol. It was what it was, and I believe it was written and told in a believable and unpretentious manner, allowing you to empathize with the characters' choices and the challenges they faced in their environment.

While it may not be a mind-blowing masterpiece, could see why some might not like it, but it made me feel mushy inside and left a lasting impact for me. June Laporte and Anwen O'Driscoll portrayed their characters exceptionally well. Also loved the title's meaning. This movie felt like a little quiet hidden gem, perhaps better off unnoticed by the masses.

Decent

[natashabryan · 8/10 · 7 June 2023]

So clichéd but still really good.

Hurts my heartstrings a little bit. Hate the way it ended, leaves it wide open for a part two.

Which I kinda hope there is, its not over for Jamie and Marike. There's mote stories to tell.

Hiding in a shell of a false person, I couldn't begin to imagine how many people live a life that isn't the real truth. Their, real truth.

It's sad, yet true, harsh and unfair... The writers did an amazing job, showing the brutality of loving another woman, all the while pretending you don't.

Grateful to not have to experience a shunning in real life for leaping out of my closet.

Above okayish

[gk303007 · 7/10 · 19 August 2022]

The movie started and took top gear within matter of minutes. I felt few scenes were just for the sake, but that's okay. Eventually, all that hurry was to get straight to one point: the chemistry between the two leads.

Frankly, there was nothing new in this movie - be it storyline or the social boundaries against a critical subject - we have all seen tons of such stuff before and maybe watch more in coming time.

However that's what worked: the girls were sweet, they acted well, i felt that the evolving chemistry between them was realistic, and at last, an obvious emotional detour was bound to happen which held weight. I rate this movie 7/10.

One time watchable.

God Forbid!...

[Xstal · 6/10 · 15 May 2023]

You're forced to leave a grieving mother, relocate, to a place close to the sea which will frustrate, as you reside among the pious, church members with a strong bias, it's quite uncomfortable, and it really makes you grate. But there's a ray of light that makes you shout eureka, when you're introduced, you get a boost, from the engaging Marike, you become the best of friends, who knows where this is going to end, well of course you know, and it won't be magnifica. You're then separated, quarantined, estranged, because the holier than thous are quite deranged, to be you, you have to flee, within this dogma, love's not free, no diversity or difference, nothing can change.

good Film, liked the progress

[gigaunitop · 7/10 · 2 November 2023]

The film dragged a bit at the beginning, and the slow development also bothered me a bit. One can say that the long development built up good tension and not everything was revealed straight away. I found the story of the two women just as interesting and I think it's not covered enough in films. The spycy parts were well balanced and I liked the acting characters. Although some actors' characters came across as more real than others. In my opinion the film deserves 7/10 stars. Only seven because I was missing some poetry, but that's a matter of taste. All in all a good film that should get more attention.

Loved it!

[lewislaura-49881 · 10/10 · 28 July 2022]

The actresses are the movie! The chemistry between them is electric. I know people will say stuff about the ending being bad but it's not necessarily a bad ending. I mean take it as you want but when Jaime says "not gonna let me go?" and Marike shakes her head meaning no. I take that as she's not going to let her slip away this time. The story line of course wasn't the best we've seen it before but like I said above the actress makes this movie. More people need to see this film.

Engaging and emotional

[dayaljags · 9/10 · 13 August 2022]

This movie is the saddest one I have seen in a while.

The actors have played their roles perfectly.

The emotional tension between the main actors is intense.

The way the girls develop feelings for each other over time is just fabulous.

The movie is 1 hour 36 minutes duration.

In my opinion, it is worth watching.

Another cliche sad lesbian story

[mandrakk-66962 · 3/10 · 15 July 2022]

As we all know how this story goes; two girls fall in love; they can't be together and later gets separated; one marries a man, while the other leaves and later at the end of the movie they meet and cry looking at each other. The end.

That's it, this is literally the plot of the movie. So if you have time for some gloomy and brooding storyline, this if for you, if not don't bother watching.

9/10 worth watching

[aatiqakabir · 9/10 · 23 July 2022]

For me this is a great movie acting of both girls is amazing and the tension between them is amazing how they met how they develop feelings for each others is shown beautifully storyline is not we we expect it to be but overall the movie is great and worth watching🌟

Nothing New

[tadted · 4/10 · 7 May 2023]

I'm a pretty liberal person and this film depicted well how feelings develop between two people so there was nothing new there. It did come across more as if the writer hated religion and tried to paint it in as bad a light as possible - so the film came across as propaganda against religion rather that the development of love between two humans. I had neighbors who were of this religion and they were the best neighbors you could ask for. Watching this I was wondering what their opinion would be of the way they were portrayed. I don't agree with everything they said to me but they didn't come across the way this film tried to put things. They probably wouldn't watch this knowing it was set up to turn people against their beliefs but I would love to quiz them on the accuracy. This could equally have been about a girl sent to a Mormon family or a Pentecostal family. I may not believe what they believe but they do have as much right to chose their own path as anybody else.

Amazing film

[fergteano · 10/10 · 4 August 2022]

Damn, what a great film. From the undeniable chemistry between the two leads, fantastic score, amazing cinematography and a script that a lot of queer people can definitely relate it's no doubt that this movie deserves to go places and I can't wait to watch it again once it hits streaming.

Watched it twice in 2 days

[torresallison-74076 · 10/10 · 5 December 2022]

This movie will twist at your heart and take you through an emotional rollercoaster. I keep thinking about the deep scenes. I wish I could watch it for the first time again. Anwen, the lead actress, made me fall in love with her character. The music went extremely well with each scene and the shots that were taken were absolutely stunning and make me want to go to the sites. This is a coming of age movie that will break your heart and make you so happy all at the same time. It really makes you think of the important things in life and how twisted something can be. I have watched this movie too many times, it has become my favorite. I only wish there was going to be a sequel!

A left over soup!

[luxinfinity · 1/10 · 9 May 2023]

In a very conservative setting, two apparently opposite girls fall for each other. The chemistry is over the top but that's about it. I've seen tons of movies with similar stories though most of them have a happy ending. If you are gay and want to get sexually aroused for a few minutes, this movie is for you otherwise just watch something else.

The characters may as well be believable though the acting is OK but not great. The shots are very amatorial and lack momentum, to me it was like watching the videos my father shoot in the 1970s with his soundless camera. There are virtually no transitions between one scene and the others and the story ends abruptly as if the already beggar low budget suddenly got exhausted. My advice to the director and the screenplayer: do your film making homework before releasing a "full movie".

Unexpectedly beautiful and nuanced film

[potato_dream · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

This is a really beautiful film that leaves a lasting impact. It has wonderful acting, incredible music, and lots of satisfying little details that make rewatching it a joy. Despite the setup being a bit sad, it is somewhat of a comfort movie: there are no explosive reveal scenes where the couple's private moments are interrupted, nobody says anything homophobic, and nobody dies. The actors are excellent at conveying the intensity of first love, and despite having no religious background or interest, I really connected to the story (which is somewhat rare). I hope this film gets the platform it deserves and will become available internationally.

Not Subtle

[mysammoore · 5/10 · 20 March 2023]

I saw this at a TIFF Reel Talk screening and was able to see the directors talk right after the screening. I went into this movie so blind, I didn't even know Reel Talk was a movie screening, as strange as that sounds. I found the film's biggest weakness was the lack of subtlety anywhere. Nothing was subtle, everything is virtually screamed at the audience, to the point where even the dialogue in the first half hour of the film felt completely unnecessary and just plain awful. The latter half did a better job of handling this, but I cannot get over just how obvious everything seems, because if it isn't, there's going to be a character explaining it within two seconds of it happening. And I saw all of this with woe because the directors themselves mentioned today that subtlety WAS in the film prior to the final drafts, and, boy, does this film sorely miss it. I'm sorry, the film is fine, but this need for subtlety that makes the first half of the film feel like non-stop obvious exposition and hammering everything into the audience to the point where you physically cannot misinterpret or just miss anything at all was really not doing this movie any favours. Had I not being seeing this in a theatre, but rather watching it at home, I 100% would have stopped watching within the first 20 minutes. Am I glad I stayed? The same way I would be glad I finished any movie, to say I did, and give my honest review. It gets a 5 because the acting was not bad, the second half of the film wasn't bad, but the first half really needed that subtlety. With it, this film could've been an 8.

A Jehovah's Witness community is not a good place for a lesbian relationship

[Red-125 · 9/10 · 27 November 2022]

The Canadian film You Can Live Forever was co-written and co-directed directed by Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky.

Anwen O'Driscoll portrays Jaime, a teenager who is sent to live with her aunt after her father's death. Her aunt and uncle are Jehovah's Witnesses.

Jaime develops a romantic relationship with Marike (June Laporte). Marike is also part of the Jehovah's Witness community. It's not a community that accepts lesbian love, and the path forward isn't easy.

This is an extraordinary film. The acting is excellent and the plot is believable. The movie has a very strong IMDb rating of 7.5. I thought that it was even better than that, and rated it 9.

We saw this movie as part of Rochester's outstanding ImageOut LGBTQ film festival.

A Sad but Wonderful film

[scheevers-50200 · 9/10 · 19 June 2023]

Haven't been moved by a film in such a long time as much as I have by this Canadian romantic drama. I usually wince or just roll my eyes when it comes to romantic films. But this one really hit me in the feels.

Well directed and writeen by duo Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky. After the sudden death of her father, Jaime Buckley is sent by her mother to live with her aunt Beth and uncle Jean-François in a small town in Quebec, home to a devout Jehovah's Witness congregation. Jaime is reluctantly convinced to attend the congregation's meeting, where she catches the eye of Marike, the daughter of the congregation's leader, Frank.

I definitely think this film is elevated by it's two lead performances from Anwen O'Driscoll as Jaime and June Laporte as Marike. They have a ton of chemistry and both work well together. O'Driscoll has the more time on screen but Laporte has the meatier role I feel.

I don't know how people will feel about the ending. But I thought it was heartbreaking in a way but some will see it as hopeful. Marike is married with a kid but looked seriously unhappy. Jaime clearly isn't over Marike and probably French Canadian woman she was sleeping with near the end wasn't her only booty call. But it feels like Jamie will sadly probably be bit on the side while Marike plays happy families to keep up appearances.

But the ending for sure will cause a lot of debate if you think it's a hopeful or sad ending for Jaimie especially. But I thought Overall it's a film I could see was very strong and well told.

Why?

[Angroboda · 3/10 · 16 September 2022]

This film went for too long. It could've been a short film and send the same message in a more powerful way. But no, they had to go and keep us seated for 1h30-ish and, frankly, give no clue whatsoever about a lot of things. They managed to squeeze in a lot of sub-plots that were never explained, and got stuck to a single plot-line, that dragged along the entire film. The scenes were sometimes badly played, or had no feeling behind them, and the same thing can be said about the characters, in certain situations. The actors seemed forced to act, and, overall, the film had an tremendous feeling of longingness that, unfortunatelly, was poorly taken advantage of.

Plausible, Vulnerable, Beautiful, and Unforgettable

[renmora · 10/10 · 21 October 2023]

The Truth: I read a review asserting the storyline was implausible but rented it anyway. I've seen quite a few uninspiring LGBTQ+ films and series but You Can Live Forever was far from implausible and uninspiring as I instantly connected to the characters of Jaime and Marike. I too lived a similar story decades ago while in Catholic school and was very much like Jaime -- glasses, Walkman, Converse and all. Bigoted religious institutions, confusion, self-hatred. . . Can tear apart the deepest of connections; nonetheless, I'm now cognizant that everything that transpired was for my betterment -- meant to serve me not hurt me. I walked away from that life and will never go back; I learned it's never too late for a new start.

Anwen O'Driscoll and June Laporte's performances were captivatingly vulnerable and authentic; I was completely bewitched and felt like a butterfly on the wall. From the breathtaking film score by CFCF; cake and basement scenes with Hasani Freeman; to the card, car, and bedroom scenes, I was transfixed -- spellbound.

I remember when my writing teacher advised me to write for me and not the reader; she wanted me to disarm -- to take off my mask -- to let go and tell my truth unfiltered -- unveiled. This unveiling was most evident in June Laporte's extra-ordinary performance; it is clear, especially for us sensitive folks, that they surrendered and delivered all of themselves to this role and it was mesmerizing and at times profoundly heart-wrenching. In my opinion, June Laporte is not only a co-lead but the driving force propelling this understated, beautiful, and unforgettable film to iconic LGBTQ+ film status. June Laporte reminds me of Julie Christie in Dr. Zhivago and Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time. So well done YCLF! Thank you for telling this too often untold story. You are deserving of every praise and accolade. PS: I bought the film.

Congratulations to the two actresses and both directors!

[paublass · 10/10 · 1 July 2023]

The end of this film includes a message from the screenwriters, which assures us that there will be a sequel. This results from Jaime's line repeated at the end - Not gonna let me go?

And no, Marike will not let her disappear again, and in the future they will take advantage of any opportunity to meet.

And from here, my imagination created a sequence of events from We can live together, which will continue the action from You can live forever.

After Luca turns 3 years old, he will remain in the care of Mark-Olivier, who will prove the most tolerant person in the community, in the context of the conflicts that will arise, following Marike's decision to go to university. Marike will not be disfellowshipped, being supported by Beth and Amanda and she will not abandon Luca, because she will spend her holidays in Saguenay. The action will take place during the period when Marike will study at the University of Montréal - Faculty of Environmental Design, while Jaime will have completed his law studies and will work at a law firm. They will live together in Montréal. The dynamics of the film will be amplified by the investigations of the two friends, whose aim is to find Marike's mother. In this film, we will also meet Jaime's mother, who will provide decisive support in the complicated situations they will go through. The ending will be dramatic and will show us the reunion between Marike and her mother.

I was asked why the ending will be dramatic, when this reunion should be a reason for joy? Because it will be a last-minute find. This will take place at an airport in the USA, from where Kate together with her husband and their son 9 years younger than Marike, will leave for a long time in a Middle Eastern country.

Another question followed: How would they find Marike's mother if she was no longer in Canada, had remarried and had a child? Very simple. After meeting Marike, Jaime's mother will remember that 3 years ago she attended a meeting of activists promoting the rights of minorities, and there a woman from the USA spoke, talking about her brother who married a woman from Canada, who had been forced to leave her family, without being able to see her two daughters, due to religious beliefs. She didn't know that woman's name, and everything that followed would be suspenseful and unpredictable.

The investigations coordinated by Jaime will lead the three to the USA, to the address where that woman lived. The moment they introduce themselves and say who they are looking for, she will realize that she has one of her sister-in-law's daughters in front of her.

There will be a race against time to the airport, where they will reach the limit as Kate and her husband and son head for the boarding gate. The moment of reunion between mother and daughter cannot be described here. The final reply will be from Kate's husband who will address his son saying:-Let's meet your sister!

Not your usual genre fanatic

[akiasger · 10/10 · 6 May 2023]

OK I started watching this by chance concerning everything else in recent days looked like 80s videostore. I have no fetish on lesbians and I would never start watching some gay movie intentionally to be honest. But this movie is really really good. I understand some will say its one way ticket to the end too long etc, but for me this is great in many aspects like camera shots whoever was behind camera or calling the shots or behind the screen on edit did amazing job. Music is also great and not intrusive. The girl playing Marike looked 100 percent in her role from happiness to sadness, other actors did good job also. Thanks for this movie, it is not a top tier cinematography example, but it is top tier for the garbage they are making all over in the last decade or so.

Beautiful...

[madnomadtoo-84716 · 10/10 · 18 March 2023]

Lesbian relationships and the Jehovah Witness religion are two of my interests, though I am neither. Here they are combined perfectly -- the modern philosophy that you can love whom you want, and the strict, traditional dogma of a controlling religion.

I lost two good friends many years ago when they became staunch witnesses. Ironically, a few years after joining they gave it up after seeing the hypocrisy of it. As often happens, too much water under the bridge to renew the friendships.

This movie is well-made and well-acted. It is just as long as it needs to be, and not a single moment is wasted.

Beautiful movie

[stephanienicoleperkins · 10/10 · 9 November 2023]

Well-written, well-acted, beautifully filmed, good 90's look in the costumes, and a delightful musical score. This is an authentic, emotional journey with quiet dialogue that will pull at your heart strings. One of the best LGBTQ movies that I've seen in years.

It's much harder than it looks to nail down good teenage dialogue without it sounding forced or dated, but this film does a good job of giving the characters just enough to say to make the viewer see things through their lenses and even lose yourself. The location was also breath-taking. I hope to see more lesbian films in the future that portray this kind of quality. It doesn't necessarily take a big budget just authenticity and heart which you'll find a lot of in this film.

Heartfelt Story of Young Love

[msagatelian · 10/10 · 26 May 2023]

There are few movies that have the emotional depth of this one. The movie explores the constraints of being a member of the Jehovah's Witness religion, but avoids demonizing it. Instead we see layers of emotions, and the internal conflict of wanting to adhere to what the religion requires, while grappling with either being gay or having a family member who is gay. The movie could have been written in the context of any orthodox or conservative religious community. The movie also has many tender moments between the two teenage protagonists, and the actors have sizzling chemistry together. Visually, the cinematography is gorgeous, with scenes of the beach, sunrises, and sunsets. All of the actors were top-notch.

A beautiful film

[nicolasmountain · 10/10 · 16 July 2023]

A wonderful film, with convincing acting, about the delusional Jehovah's Witnesses and their controlling environment. And is it wrong it gave me a stiffy? And why is it nearly every review score of an excellent movie is around 6 or 7. Oh yeah, it's because for every high review score, there's one of 1 or 2, written by a child, who 'could only manage 5 minutes before I had to turn it off!' Do yourself a favour and get your reviews from Rotten Tomatoes instead. Wonderful acting and a heartbreaking ending that made me cry. Only seventy five characters to go. I saw this movie at the pretentious film festival in France. Bravo!