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Many couples have their song—the song that was playing when they met, the song from the first dance on their wedding day, a song from an important moment on an important day. But in Modern Life Is Rubbish, one couple’s story isn’t just one song; it’s a series of songs.
Modern Life Is Rubbish finds musician Liam (Josh Whitehouse) and graphic designer Natalie (Freya Mavor) at the end of their relationship. As they pack up the apartment they share together and divide their possessions, the albums and CDs take them back through their years together. From the day they met at a record store and discussed their favorite Blur albums, they’ve been connected through music. But the years have caused their dreams to drift further and further apart, until it seems that they’re left with nothing but their album collection.
For music lovers, it seems as though every important moment in life is attached to a song—and no matter how much time passes, a line of a song can bring back every sound, every sight, every feeling from that moment. And those memories are even more powerful when attached to the emotional highs and lows of a relationship like this one.
Modern Life Is Rubbish is a John Carney-style musical journey through young love, with its joys, its uncertainty, its frustration, and its heartbreak. The characters are both entirely charming in their own way—but also in completely different ways. And the moments they share together are undeniably adorable. Liam is a lovably aimless artist who dreams of the kind of fame and fortune that few achieve. He’s energetic and enthusiastic but also sometimes moody—the kind of guy who’s either glowing with excitement or desperately in need of a hug. Natalie, meanwhile, is the more practical of the two—the one who gave up her dream of designing album covers when she discovered that the world was moving on. So, somewhere along the way, she chose to embrace the change—to grow up and find new dreams.
Admittedly, their story isn’t entirely new or surprising, but the romance and music and bittersweet drama is sure to hit close to home with anyone who’s ever agonized over the right songs to put on a mix CD for their crush.
Modern Life Is Rubbish is an old-school musical love story. It’s often beautiful and dreamlike, but it’s also totally rock-and-roll. It’s about first dances, awkwardness, and long discussions into the night. And it’s sure to bring back memories of the romance and music of your younger days.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
