When I was a boy, at some point, I knew who I liked to watch when I was seeing a movie. You could say I had a celebrity crush, in other words. With each passing decade of life, I added to the list, slowly but surely. However, I made a rule, in my head: no more than one celebrity crush per decade. Perhaps, even in my fantasy world, I was attempting to be a one-woman man?…
Having said all that, “Luckiest Girl Alive” is a new addition to Netflix, starring Mila Kunis, and based on a New York Times best-seller. It is directed by Mike Barker, who has apparently not directed a feature-length movie since 2007, but has been very much involved in “small screen” work during the past 15 years. The screenplay is credited to Jessica Knoll, which seems appropriate since the novel was written by the same woman, though it is a unique challenge to adapt your own work to a smaller scale; from book to film.
Kunis is Ani Fanelli, a successful writer in her late 20s (according to the novel description) who is also about to get married. 
Her future spouse is Luke Harrison, played by Finn Wittrock (“A Mouthful of Air”). However, beneath the comely façade, there is great turmoil. Fanelli seems to have cold feet about being wed. Furthermore, she seems cynical and manipulative, but why?…
In the early moments of “Luckiest Girl Alive” I saw the usual, solid cinematography I have come to expect from Netflix movies. In this case, it is Colin Watkinson, who has worked with the director, previously, in “A Handmaid’s Tale.” However, the supposed edgy quality to this movie lacks some originality due to Netflix’s standard that I have just mentioned. Repeated stimulation of the same note can lose its luster, over time, but I digress…
The apparent premise for “Luckiest Girl Alive” reminded me of previous films, such as: “Trainwreck” or “Good on Paper.” Those were comedies, through and through. This one faked like it was going to be a comedy and then took a turn into drama and never looked back. My thinking, at least during the first half of the film, was that Kunis’ character is not very likable and, therefore, more difficult to sympathize with. She showcases what I would categorize as cliched insecurity for a modern, female character and seems to dislike masculinity, even when it is indirectly impacting her work life. I would caution any prospective viewer to stay patient, though. Her complaints and attitudes will, hopefully, make a lot more sense to you later on, as they did to me.
By supposed chance, Fanelli and Harrison meet up with some people for dinner, including a man from Fanelli’s past, and this is where the story begins to get a lot more interesting. She knew him as Mr. Larson, but now he is Andrew, played by Scoot McNairy (“C’Mon C’Mon”). Something major happened to Fanelli when she was younger. Up to this point, we have only seen flashback moments, which look like post-traumatic stress, and affectively gain your attention, though they lack depth, at first. This is where I take issue with the story. I wonder if there could have been some way to make Kunis’ character seem a little bit more likable BEFORE we learn about her past, but maybe the screenwriter AND the director decided to unveil things this way on purpose and I just do not agree with that decision. Shall we move on?…
Fanelli was raised, at least during her teenage years, without a father around. Her mother, played by Connie Britton (“Breaking”), 
entered her into an exclusive school so that she could be on an optimal track for big success. When she finds the transition a bit more challenging, she cozies up to some of the more mainstream students and this is what leads her to a traumatic moment, which will shape the rest of her life, both positively and negatively.
Without giving too much away, it was not just one thing that happened, but two things, which were somehow connected. As it turns out, a friend was trying to defend Fanelli’s honor, but did so in an irrational manner and many people suffered for it, in the process. One who suffered, went on to use that tragedy as a means to gain something in his life, and he did so at the expense of another, willfully, I might add. Fanelli is seeking to gain closure on this matter, but it takes some time and effort to handle things the way that she needs to. Ultimately, it is the way others respond to this that seems to matter more than how Fanelli deals with everything on her own terms, which is her right. In the end, her ability to find peace has several layers to it and no one else can do it for her; not her boss, played by Jennifer Beals (“After”) and not even her fiancé.
As I mentioned before, this story requires some patience in order to really understand the full measure of Ani Fanelli. Hypothetically, if this were the real world, that would make perfect sense, but this is NOT real life; it is a movie. The trending theme to make films more applicable to reality is not going away. Some may not approve of it and will continue to argue that movies were meant to give us a break from reality and not to remind us of it and I completely understand that perspective. However, film can also be used as an effective teaching tool to show certain viewers something they may or may not be aware of, even if that THING makes the viewer uncomfortable.
“Luckiest Girl Alive” is a title that is meant to be ironic or even sarcastic, yet it is also true, which also makes it a bit of a paradox. In my opinion, the cleverness of that is a little bit better than the movie, itself, which gets good down the stretch, but is too weak in the beginning to save itself from being “slightly above average.” The story-telling is a bit sloppy and does not play to Kunis’ strengths, in my view. Then, she shines through in the end, to at least provide us with a satisfying conclusion, which is fine, but not quite enough for me to give my full recommendation. In other words, it was “okay,” but not much more than that. I got the message, but would have preferred a different approach, overall. I do not say this as a victim, but merely as an observer, to be perfectly clear. My thoughts on the film are not related, in any way, to the material within it. So, separate the two and then you will see what I am saying.
Director: Mike Barker
Screenwriter: Jessica Knoll
Based on: “Luckiest Girl Alive,” by Jessica Knoll
Starring: Mila Kunis, Finn Wittrock, Scoot McNairy, Justine Lupe as Nell Rutherford, Thomas Barbusca as Arthur Finneman, Dalmar Abuzeid as Aaron Wickersham, Isaac Kragten as Liam Ross, Gage Munroe as Peyton Powell, Jennifer Beals as Lolo Vincent, Connie Britton and Nicole Huff as Olivia Kaplan
Distributed by: Netflix
Release: September 30th, 2022 (United States) and October 7th, 2022 (Netflix)
