There are many fictions that have come out following in the wake of ‘Girls’: the series created by Lena Dunham seems to have paved the way for other similar stories, in which the particular vision of their creators has great weight. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and hers ‘Fleabag’ by her or Issa Rae with ‘Insecure’ are some international examples but we have also had national creators, such as Leticia Dolera and ‘Vida Perfecta’, available on Movistar +.
growing up is a myth
‘Perfect Life’ tells us the story of three thirtysomethings going through an existential crisis: María, who gets pregnant unexpectedly, Cris, who feels empty despite having the family of her dreams, and Esther, whose aspirations to be a painter have been frustrated for some time.
First of all, to say that this is a necessary series for what it entails: it is a comedy, with a niche theme and the episodes have a duration of 25-30 minutes. Despite the increase in variety within the Spanish series, it is a fairly recent phenomenon, in which the weight of the platforms has greatly influenced.
Just a few years ago, series like this would not have been possible because practically all the Spanish comedies we had were those that were broadcast free-to-air, with a standard duration of an hour and a quarter and thematically generalist. The entry of Netflix and, above all, Movistar+ has allowed more products like this to come out, in which each fiction can be adapted to the genre and the duration that it considers appropriate.
Now yes, focusing on the series, Leticia Dolera shows us a portrait of the concerns of her generation. The series humorously dismantles the idea of a perfect lifethat kind of mantra that has been repeated since childhood and to which it seems that we should all aspire.
Then, what is a perfect life? The one that “most people” wear? The one you get when you fulfill your vital purposes? Can’t those purposes change throughout your life? Where is the border that separates surrender from taking another path voluntarily? Why are we more afraid of change than of being unhappy?
generational dramedy
The story uses comedy to reflect on these issues in a casual way (and without giving sermons, thanks), combining humor and drama in a quite successful way and manages to integrate all those layers of reading in an apparently very simple argument.
Like ‘Girls’, Dolera presents us with no complexes to its protagonists, some characters who are full of doubts, contradictions and who do not always make good decisions. It would be easy to take a liking to them if it weren’t for the fact that within each one we can recognize some part of ourselves and because, if they were perfect, their evolution throughout the series wouldn’t be half as interesting.
Part of the credit, unsurprisingly, goes to the actresses who play the main trio: Leticia Dolera, Celia Freijeiro Y Aixa Villagran they embroider their roles and bring out their most comical vis, backed by some also great Manuel Burque and Enric Auquer, without forgetting the stellar collaborations of David Verdaguer, Carmen Machi, Pedro Casablanc and Fernando Colomo, among others.
Yes ok the first season works as a self-contained storythe second serves to show the next vital stage of the characters and further rounds out the thesis that life is change and that making decisions does not end with the label “and they were happy and ate partridges”.
‘Perfect life’ works like light-hearted comedy about the myths of adulthood but it also knows how to handle its dramatic side when necessary, partly thanks to its imperfect protagonists who represent doubts that we have all had at some point in our lives. With a good level of production, direction and interpretation, it is already finished with two seasons (8 and 6 chapters respectively) so it’s a good option to binge if you fancy something short and fun.