I’ve been having a weird dialog with myself over the past few weeks, as I realized how much I’ve sacrificed to build up my theatre group. It’s a weird bunch of emotional math as I wonder if I maybe wasted my 20’s, when most people were pursuing profitable careers or building healthy relationships, I was producing community theater…
All this to say that this put me in the exactly right headspace to meditate of Don’t Think Twice, Mike Birbiglia’s film about an improv troupe grappling with their next step, in both comedy and life.
This movie is garnering almost entirely positive reviews and it’s easy to see why. It’s beautifully made. I’ve been a fan of Birbiglia for years, and even though improv as an art gives me a headache, it was easy to see myself and my friends in this group. The story is simple and heartfelt, one member of the group ascends to the heights of “Weekend Live,” a barely veiled stand in for SNL, and he and the others must deal with how this changes things.
Birbiglia himself plays Miles, the founder of The Commune, and kind of a washed up never was. He auditioned for Weekend Live once upon a time, a story he’s been dining out on for years.
Keegan Michael Key continues to cement himself as my favorite actor as Jack, the guy that makes it.
Gillian Jacobs plays the one who doesn’t want more, who considers improv to be the end all be all. She makes this girl endearing rather than just annoying.
Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher and Chris Getherd round out the group, and it’s all just so good. I can barely review this movie, it’s that good.
Rankings
- The Nice Guys
- Don’t Think Twice
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
- Ghostbusters
- Captain America: Civil War
- Star Trek Beyond
- X-Men: Apocalypse
- The Legend Of Tarzan
- Suicide Squad
- Finding Dory
- Independence Day: Resurgence
- Alice Through The Looking Glass
Trailers
These are not my usual thing at all, as quiet indie dramedy tends to fall below my radar, I only knew about this because of podcasts.
American Honey – For some reason during this trailer, I kept thinking about how from like 2007-2009, I had a huge crush on Shia LaBouef. Like many things from that time in my life that feels very disconnected from who I am and how I feel now…regardless, that movie looks like it’ll annoy me.
The Hallers – Oh baby, I like nothing more than “one sibling comes home to family dysfunction” movies. They’re the freaking best. And this one has John Krazinski!
Office Christmas Party – No matter how stupid this movie is, the cast will save it. Jen Anniston, TJ Miller and Kate McKinnon, I’m counting on you.
