Capsule reviews for Dec. 5

Life Partners

There are some universal truths buried beneath an excessively familiar premise in this low-budget romantic comedy about the relationship travails of Paige (Gillian Jacobs) and Sasha (Leighton Meester), whose longtime co-dependent friendship is tested when Paige finds a serious boyfriend (Adam Brody) while Sasha continues to struggle with her lesbian hook-ups. There’s a heartfelt sweetness in this feature debut from director Susanna Fogel, along with some gently amusing performances. But with such generic characters and scenarios, it feels more like a sitcom pilot than anything else, where lessons are learned and, at the end of the day, everyone winds up right back where they started. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Pioneer

This Norwegian thriller, set during the early 1980s, manages to generate consistent tension even as it gradually loses narrative credibility. That’s a credit to director Erik Skjoldbjaerg (Insomnia), and also to actor Aksel Hennie (Headhunters), playing an expert diver who agrees for personal reasons to undertake a dangerous mission to help install an oil pipeline at the bottom of the Norwegian Sea. But he realizes too late his life might be at risk because of what he doesn’t know about the international submarine crew. There’s a true-life political backdrop in play, as well as some stunning underwater cinematography that help smooth out the rough edges. (Rated R, 111 minutes).

Take Care

Being bedridden after an auto accident might be only slightly less desirable than sitting through this strained low-budget comedy about Frannie (Leslie Bibb), who returns home after her hospital stay, then finds that neither her sister nor her friend have the time or desire to assist in her recovery. Out of desperation, she reconnects with her ex-boyfriend (Thomas Sadoski), who feels guilty enough to become her caretaker, not considering that they might rekindle their spark. The shrill and bumbling Frannie doesn’t earn our sympathy, and neither does the stereotypical batch of periphery characters in the consistently lowbrow screenplay by rookie director Liz Tuccillo. (Not rated, 94 minutes).