One Minute Review: The Lifeguard (2013)

The Lifeguard

Who doesn’t wonder what it would be like to step back into the days of high school? The days before careers and serious relationships toiled our every day lives, when swimming at the local pool and the appropriate places to skateboard were your biggest worries. In “The Lifeguard”, leading lady Kristen Bell takes that step back, after a piece of her writing is rejected from her newspaper and the affair she is having comes to a close. Director Liz W. Garcia may never be praised for this film, but to her defense, this independent film takes many distinct and unexpected turns which keep it, at least minimally fresh and a nice change of pace. Kristen Bell’s character isn’t the only one taking strides to change, as Bell herself takes on this role in a little Indie, something we haven’t yet seen from her, and she dominates.

Playing the flawed heroine, the first thing I noticed was the lack of make-up used in the film, which I wholly respect. She’s gorgeous and there’s no reason to cover that up. On top of that, she delivers a multi-layered performance, as her character falls down this underage rabbit hole, trying all she can to regain some semblance of youth before she turns 30. Although it could have easily spun into the normal rhetoric of sexual politics, especially with her blossoming romance with a boy half her age, but it stands its ground and I come to respect it more for that. The problem the film faces is its self-indulgence and slow pace, causing many viewers to cry boredom. But if you’re willing to put in the time and can appreciate a methodical, older than usual coming of age story, along with an above par showing from Kristen Bell, then “The Lifeguard” might just be better than the critics are making it.