Given the sparsity of resources offered to independent cinema, young filmmakers must work within certain parameters when they’ve given the industry no other reason to invest in them. As a result, the indie scene is no longer dominated by brash films that never would’ve received studio funding, such as 1990s breakouts like Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave or David O. Russell’s Flirting With Disaster. Rather, these rising storytellers are told that audiences want to see something truthful, which has resulted in an overabundance of semi-autobiographical, slice-of-life dramedies.
Writer/directors Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani may end up with impressive careers, as I Love You Forever is the type of launching pad that could signify adaptability. While evidently made on a low budget with few notable stars in the cast, I Love You Forever has all the structural hallmarks that a classical programmer would require. Even if there are hints of subversion within the commentary on romantic tropes, I Love You Forever is never caustic, as its most inventive moments are played for laughs. Clearly, David and Kalani would be capable of excellence if given more attention and energy; unfortunately, I Love You Forever doesn’t offer anything new about modern dating. Festival-bound indie films that seek widespread distribution need to offer something more substantial than personal truth.
I Love You Forever is the story of the single law student Mackenize (Sofia Black-D'Elia), who’s faced a crisis of confidence after a break with her long-term boyfriend, Jake (Raymond Cham Jr.). While she’s content that her “dream man” may not be out there, Mackenzie’s luck is changed upon a chance encounter with the charismatic news anchor Finn (Ray Nicholson) at a birthday party for a mutual friend. Finn and Mackenize are united in their distaste for socially awkward gatherings, and begin a relationship that’s quickly transformed into an obsession. The film’s most clever gag is the disparity between Finn and Jake; if Jake was so disinterested in Mackenize’s personality that every conversation felt like a burden, then Finn’s relentless desire for connections is nearly psychopathic.
Black-D'Elia is a compelling presence, as Mackenize’s spunkiness is never too arch for its own good. Although she gave a small, yet critical performance in the underrated HBO miniseries The Night Of alongside Riz Ahmed, Black-D'Elia’s performance as Mackenzie has made the case that she has a bright future. However, I Love You Forever has little interest in Mackenize’s traits that aren’t related to her relationships, as the details of her educational commitments are only brought up when Finn’s behavior becomes a disruption. Despite I Love You Forever being focused on the uncertainty young people face when they’re unable to clearly define the status of their relationships, there’s not a consistent definition of what “normalcy” is for Mackenzie.
Nicholson has the privilege and burden of being what the Internet would refer to as a “nepo baby,” as the son of Jack Nicholson. Nicholson’s resemblance to his father is striking, and it’s something he used to his advantage in recent performances; his creepy recreation of his father’s iconic portrayal of Jack Torrance in The Shining was the best part of the otherwise forgettable horror sequel Smile 2, and his role as a petty bank robber in this year’s action-comedy Novocaine is reminiscent of Frank Costello in The Departed. Nicholson’s set aside any similarities with his father with his performance in I Love You Forever, which is a parody of overtly sensitive millennial men. While Jack Nicholson showed vulnerability within early roles in Five Easy Pieces and The Last Detail, he never showed that pathetic lack of independence of Finn in I Love You Forever.
Nicholson’s performance is both the most entertaining aspect of I Love You Forever and its most detrimental, as the personability he brought to the role is at odds with the leisurely tone. Finn’s initially framed as such an idealistically warm-hearted, compassionate character that his turn development into a whiny man-child is jarring. No other character is offered the same depth. While the twist is effective in putting the viewer in the shows of Mackenzie, it doesn’t provide the film an opportunity to comment on the static nature of her experience.
I Love You Forever is stuck in an unusual place where it’s unwilling to shift towards hyper-realism, but doesn’t have the high-concept approach to justify its basic observations. It’s interesting that I Love You Forever debuted on HBO Max at the same time that two very different, but more focused films about dysfunctional relationships are in theaters. Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby is a devastating examination of abuse that has a willingness to contend with emotional scarring that I Love You Forever skipped past; on the flipside, the body horror film Together is a more interesting take on co-dependency, as its routine characters are elevated by the creative genre components. I Love You Forever is short and harmless, but it's hard to imagine that anyone involved with the film would consider it to be their best work.