Posted by Larry Gleeson
The 2022 Sundance Film Festival premiere, Am I OK?, marked the directorial debut of married creatives Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynn. The film features Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno as Lucy and Jane, two best friends who are forced to deal with significant change when Jane agrees to accept a major career move necessitating relocation and Lucy confesses her deepest secret: that she loves women and has for a long time.
The viewer is quickly taken into the relationship fold with an intimate and personalized invitation with a mesmerizing bedroom scene between the film’s two lead actors, Johnson and Mizuno. Sharp editing from Kayla Emter and Glen Scantlebury and well-executed cinematography from Cristina Dunlapan allow the scene to unfold in telling ways.
Notaro and Allynne present the friendship in a microcosm revolving around work, friendship, relationships, and sexuality. As Lucy comes to the realization her sexual orientation is not what she thought, she has a falling out with Jane. Jane experiences a surprise in her romantic relationship when she accepts a promotion to open a London office and her partner decides he is not interested in supporting the move. Meanwhile, Lucy finds her identity.
In its most basic essence Am I OK? explores sexuality and relationship mores between the two 30ish women. Jane, portrayed by Mizuno, is a firmly rooted woman finding success in her career and in her love life. On the other hand, Lucy, portrayed by Johnson, is struggling with her career and in the romance sphere.
Am I OK? is a beautiful story with exquisite character arcs. Johnson and Mizuno turn in highly compelling performances in a well-executed and strongly penned narrative. In addition, the filmmakers add comedic relief with several instances in magnifying character idiosyncrasies.
Warner Bros. and HBO Max have purchased the film. Expect an HBO MAx premiere in the near future. Until then…..I’ll see you at the movies!
Stay tuned for The Watcher!
