Jenni Olson takes us on an interesting and soothing trip through San Francisco comprised entirely of captivating landscape shots of the Bay Area with running narration from a butch d**e who’s reciting her personal diary of sexual relationships and identity. Halfway through, stories of desire and fistfucking are replaced by suicide statistics as we learn that the Golden Gate Bridge is the number one destination for those looking to end their lives, ultimately addressing the issue of a yet-to-be erected barrier in order to keep people jumping to their deaths from the famous landmark. This sudden change seems to be a natural one, however, as the tales of lesbian sex don’t always come across as the fondest of memories.
“The Joy of Life” is an experimental film with an experiment that works and more importantly, doesn’t bore its audience to death with pretension.
