Close Menu
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    HITMAN World of Assassination - Signature Edition

    ‘HITMAN World Of Assassination’ Struggles On Switch 2

    06/16/2025
    One Piece But Why Tho 5

    Fathers of ‘One Piece’: Powerful Bonds, Legacy, and Found Family

    06/13/2025
    Elena Street Fighter 6 But Why Tho

    Elena Brings Style And Versatility To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    06/06/2025
    Lune and Sciel from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

    Lune, Sciel, And The Romance Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Fails To Realize

    06/05/2025
    Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro

    Everything To Know About Eve Macarro In ‘Ballerina’

    06/05/2025
  • Star Wars
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘All My Life’ is Beautiful but Exactly What You Expect

REVIEW: ‘All My Life’ is Beautiful but Exactly What You Expect

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez12/03/20204 Mins ReadUpdated:04/15/2023
All My Life But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

All My Life

I’m not the biggest fan of tragedies being disguised as romantic comedies. You know the kind, the quirky, funny romance that evolves from meet-cute to tragic accident or situation without any warning. Thankfully, I knew what I was getting into with Universal’s All My Life.  Based on the real-life story of Solomon Chau and Jennifer Carter, directed by Marc Meyers, and written by Todd Rosenberg, All My Life is very open about the sadness that will unfold in the film, but also that it will offer resiliency at the same time.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Starring Harry Shum Jr. and Jessica Rothe as Solomon and Jennifer, respectively, All My Life follows the journey of an engaged couple who make the difficult decision to accelerate their wedding in the wake of Sol’s diagnosis with terminal liver cancer. While it may seem like a spoiler, this is how the film was marketed, and with the “twist” of fate revealed from the beginning, the romantic comedy tropes the film uses, in the beginning, serve as an easy opening to a story filled with emotion. That said, as a viewer, it means that while you expect the hardship, watching their romance begin and evolve into a proposal is filled with tension as you wait for Sol to receive his diagnosis. 

In the beginning, Sol and Jenn are a sweet, fun-loving couple who meet in a bar and click instantly. Now newly engaged, they begin to plan their life together and their wedding. But when Sol is diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in December, their plans for a summer wedding become impossible, and the remainder of their life together begins a race against time as their friends and family do what they can, including launching an online fundraiser, to help them fulfill their dream wedding in less than a month. As we watch their wedding take shape, we all watch Jenn and Sol’s commitment to each other, only deepen, confront mortality, and learn how to value every moment. 

As a film, All My Life is ultimately what we’ve seen before. While it is based on a true story, it has graced romance and drama for a long time. We know where the story is going from the beginning, we know Sol’s faith, and ultimately, we know that the story was made to warm the heart even in tragedy. That said, while it fits into the box set by its genre, All My Life is executed with a loving and kindness that allows the audience to see the film’s leads excel. Being exactly what viewers expect isn’t a bad thing, so long as it can deliver on the emotional highs and lows it promises to deliver.

The film succeeds in building an empathetic bond with its audience due in large part to Sol’s journey, brought to life by Harry Shum Jr., and the use of narration throughout the film told from Jenn’s perspective. For his role, Shum Jr. brings a warmth that is palpable in every scene. From his humor to his sadness, Shum Jr. is able to pull the viewer in and keep you in his emotions. His charisma and talent sings off the screen and makes me ache for him to lead a film where he gets a happy ending. For her part, Rothe brings energy to every scene but truthfully pales compared to Shum Jr.’s Sol. While he outshines her, Rothe’s voice as our narrator adds an emotional level to the film’s opening and close that works to draw the viewer deeper into their story.

As all sad stories packaged for Hollywood have, the film’s call to action is to appreciate every moment. Every small touch, step, and success. Ultimately, All My Life isn’t a film about love so much as it is a story about needing to never take those you love and your life in general for granted. It calls you to celebrate the small moments that are easy to forget and, in that way, in a year filled with so much pain, sticks with you. While All My Life doesn’t offer hope, it does offer resiliency. Yes, death happens. Tragedy happens. But it’s what you do in the face of it, how you grow from it, and how you survive after the loss that this film looks to talk about.

All My Life isn’t phenomenal, but it is effective. The film executes the romantic drama formula and does so, thanks largely to Shum Jr.’s performance. That said, there is still a bleakness to the film that may make it hard to watch for those suffering through grief. Overall though, All My Life is worth the emotional watch for Harry Shum Jr. alone.

All My Life is available on demand and streaming on Hulu.

All My Life
  • 6/10
    Rating - 6/10
6/10

TL;DR

.All My Life isn’t phenomenal, but it is effective. The film executes the romantic drama formula and does so, thanks largely to Shum Jr.’s performance. That said, there is still a bleakness to the film that may make it hard to watch for those suffering through grief. Overall though, All My Life is worth the emotional watch for Harry Shum Jr. alone.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Big Mouth’ Season 4 Isn’t Shy About the Hard Topics
Next Article ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Komi Can’t Communicate’, Volume 10
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later
8.5

REVIEW: ’28 Years Later’ Is Tense Until The Last Three Minutes

06/18/2025
Elio in Pixar's Elio
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Elio’ Gets Lost In The Stars But Mostly Finds Its Way Home

06/17/2025
Diablo (2025) promotional key art
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Diablo’ Keeps The Mid-Budget Action Goodness Going

06/16/2025
Deep Cover (2025) key art with Nick Mohammed, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Orlando Bloom
6.0

REVIEW: Orlando Bloom Gives His All In ‘Deep Cover’

06/15/2025
Our Times But Why Tho
3.5

REVIEW: ‘Our Times’ Wastes A Good Premise On A Bad Plot

06/14/2025
Red Blood Cell and White Cell in Cells at Work
9.0

REVIEW: ‘Cells at Work’ Does A Beloved Anime Justice

06/13/2025
TRENDING POSTS
Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night with the Duke Episodes 1-2
8.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 1-2

By Sarah Musnicky06/12/2025

The bar is set pretty high with The First Night With The Duke Episodes 1-2. While exposition-heavy, it is a delightfully silly watch.

Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered promotional art from Bandai Namco
6.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered’

By Matthew Glenn06/14/2025

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered is runs on nostalgia and great Gundam piloting, but there is more left to be desired.

Y'shtola in the FFXIV Commander Deck - Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy Interviews

Magic Designer Explains The Challenge Of Picking A Face For The FFXIV Commander Deck

By Kate Sánchez06/11/2025Updated:06/11/2025

FFXIV Commander Deck pulls highlights core characters and mechanics, with Y’shtola as its Commander. But building the deck, wasn’t easy.

Eric McCormack in Hell Motel
7.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Hell Motel’ Takes A Stab At True Crime

By Sarah Musnicky06/17/2025Updated:06/17/2025

Hell Motel blurs genres with this murder mystery, true crime slasherfest. While it’s not the team’s best work, it’s still fun.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here