The Sweetening

"The Sweetening" is somewhat reminiscent of the 80's Twilight Zone episode "Dreams for Sale," except more disturbing now that the basic premise is within the realm of possibility. Grace Rowe does triple duty as the writer, director, and lead actor in this story about a woman who signs up to test an Artificial Intelligence program in an attempt to get a temporary reprieve from her unsatisfying life. Rowe's portrayal of her character's misery is heartbreakingly accurate, particularly in the interactions with her husband and young children. My only criticism is that the plot feels a little too emotionally reserved, though that may be a blessing in disguise because the film's real-life implications are actually quite depressing.

This is a bare-bones story. We are kept out of the loop on relationships. Also, the technology she is testing is a bit of a mystery. Everything is so quick, with little emotion. It's as if they filmmaker just wanted to be done with the story. Also, the characters (and the acting) are really lacking.

I can honestly relate to the protagonist of the story. Sometimes you just need something different and when that type of technology is developed, I so want it! I loved the settledness of the story telling and at times it was very sweet. The 2 main characters were very believable and perfection in their roles. And Matt Houston <3. A very well written and acted short bittersweet tale.

Beautifully quiet and bittersweet. Honestly, I think a story like this becomes more relatable every year. As technology advances, we all find new ways to dissociate, and I think if we were honest with ourselves, we all would take advantage of a system like this in some way. Like Black Mirror, you can't watch without feeling like this *could* be in our future.

A sort of Madame Bovary. Not novels , just fictional avatar. The thin line between fiction and reality. The happiness. The family. The traits and results of profound selfishness. And , sure, the fall, fixed by fictionally solution. A beautiful short story reminding the consequences between the link between us and technology. In precise, profound manner. Proposing a case not so rare. So, the admirable job of Grace Rowe.