REVIEW: A JOB, A WIFE, A LIFE – Trapped in the American Dream with a case of never-ending Mondays

Mondays. We all moan and groan about that first day of the week. A bad Monday can sometimes be a sign for the week ahead. We complain about it and make memes about it. In the case of Blake, he seems to be stuck in a state of never-ending Mondays. The outlook? Not so great. When you think someone may have it all including the good job, the marriage and a life of their own, it doesn’t mean it’s all it’s cracked up to be. The American Dream is simply a cover of what lies beneath which may not be very pretty. As for us, we’re in for an entertaining adventure.

Brett Golov (also the wrIter and director of the series) plays the main character, Blake, in the new comedy A JOB, A WIFE, A LIFE.

A JOB, A WIFE, A LIFE, a new comedy series from MonkeyFace Productions, follows the daily life of Blake (series writer/director Brett Golov), an average guy trying to live the American Dream. He seems to have everything that he could ever need. He has a good job, a beautiful wife named Amy (Natasha Sherritt) and what appears to be a fulfilled life. Gradually, we learn this is not the case at all. Blake actually has an awful day job, an obnoxious boss named Marvin (Frank Licari), a stressful marriage on shaky ground and his life has transformed into something different than what he originally expected. There’s a positive note though! Blake has a laid-back best friend that he can rely on and vent to named Riley (Thomas Falborn). Best friend to the rescue!

The series is premiering their 6 episode first season this month on its official YouTube page (official trailer here) with two episodes currently released. The series is both written and directed by Brett Golov while he brings the role of Blake to life.

I have to say that I experienced several different feelings while watching the series’ first episode. First, I laughed. Second, I felt bad for Blake for having such a miserable day to day routine. Third, it made me really think about his situation. A profound moment. It made me think of how society as a whole is so desperate to put out a specific image of what their life is like in public. The image of “perfection.” The pressure of achieving success as part of the American Dream. The requirements of acquiring a stable job, a suitable partner for marriage and what others think would make up an acceptable life in society. We’re so busy trying to portray our lives a certain way to the public striving for “perfection” that we hide the reality of what is really going on and sacrifice our own happiness to meet those standards. Social media is a huge example here. Yeah, I just got deep here.

Blake (Brett Golov) and his obnoxious boss, Marvin (Frank Licari) discussing office arrangements and Blake’s duties for the day.

Blake seems to have fallen into this kind of pressure. He has all that is required for success by society standards, but is he truly happy? No. From the first time we see Blake up to the end of the first episode, it seems like his day just keeps getting worse. He looks absolutely miserable. I mean, he’s assigned the bathroom as a temporary office! That’s pretty crappy! Yet, we laugh. Why? That’s an interesting thing to think about.

I thought the opening credits were really fun and different. The characters were animated as stick figures in black and white. It grabbed my attention. That was definitely something I didn’t expect to see when watching this series. The viewers also receive some clues on who these characters are based off how they are introduced in the opening credits. Yeah, they are stick figures, but they also have some personality. That’s fun! The actual cast did a great job at bringing Blake’s funny day to day routine to life. It was believable. They are a strong ensemble. They play off of each other in an amusing, effective way. Blake and his obnoxious boss, Marvin, are a good example here. Also, Blake and his wife Amy. I’m looking forward to seeing how this dynamic and all of these relationships will unfold in future episodes.

The cast and crew behind the scenes of the new comedy A JOB, A WIFE, A LIFE.

Another cool thing about this series is the use of a dog as a member of the cast. I couldn’t help but think about the level of difficulty of working with a dog while watching the first few minutes of the first episode. That could be a big challenge, but it seems that obstacle was easily eliminated. The dog, Madison, seemed very well behaved and would definitely catch the attention of animal lover viewers.

The music featured in the opening credits and the transitions seemed to fit the mood of series. It’s pretty catchy! We know that it’s supposed to be a comedy. The cinematography also worked for the series. While watching, I noticed the camera going in and out of focus while constantly adjusting. It seemed choppy. For example, the first scene. The camera was in motion most of the time. I felt that this worked well for the series when in other times might be a little distracting.

Again, it’s easy to feel bad for Blake. At the same time, viewers may also be able to relate to Blake in these terrible situations. These situations are realistic which makes it even better to watch someone else go through it. I’m looking forward to more episodes of this series. I’m curious to see where Blake is going to go with these issues because he has started off in a pretty rough spot. Blake’s unfortunate experiences in the first episode will entertain viewers while getting them hooked on figuring out if he will climb out of this hole that he’s found himself in for a while. Fingers crossed!

The series’ first episode can be viewed at the embedded link here:

YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/channel/UCa_th4OwfU5Zckh4pzSCIpg

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