PSA: Don’t stop watching thirty minutes from the end. Especially when you work in entertainment. Guaranteed to mess with some deep-seated insecurities.
This film about a struggling improv troupe is chock full of A-list comedic talent: Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele), Gillian Jacobs (Community), Tami Sagher (writer, 30 Rock), Kate Micucci (my favorite supporting character in Scrubs), Chris Gethard (UCB Comedy Originals), and stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia. Wow, that is a mouthful. So many names and so much talent.
Before I confuse you, I should let you know that this is not a comedy. Don’t Think Twice is a character drama about funny people. It’s written and directed by Mike Birbiglia, and I highly recommend watching his stand-up routines on Netflix. Birbiglia has a unique brand of humor, characterized by taking on heavy subject matter and making jokes surrounding it. The characters won’t joke about a father’s ailing health, but they will mercilessly poke fun at what may have been his last words. Birbiglia has mastered the art of telling jokes that don’t undercut drama, and that skill is reflected well in this his second directorial outing.
The entertainment business is no joke. It is a cut-throat, unstable mountain of good intentions gone sour. And we can’t help but love it. This film encapsulates different types of artists and why they are drawn to perform for the world. Whether you dream of being discovered for your talent, or of finding fame, or simply want to use art to give purpose to life, you may well find yourself reflected in this cast of improv characters.
The film opens and closes with a brief history of improv. Improv tools have always been used to warm up for a performance, but only in the 60’s did it emerge as an independent art form. Since that time, it has been a constant struggle for improv to be viewed as a legitimate art. Isn’t it just a bunch of underprepared people being goofs on stage? Well, it can be. But not when it’s done right. This bit of background lays the foundation for a metaphor all too familiar to every artist: seeking legitimacy and breaking new ground.
Am I a good person? Do people want to be around me? Should they? Do I have a unique voice to share with the world? Are my priorities in order? These are just a few of the questions that this film sparks organically.
It may not be a perfect movie. But I’m going to get up on my high horse and ask, what is a perfect movie? The best of movies tug our emotions in a whole range of directions. We laugh, we cry. We relate to the struggle. If you can’t tell, I really enjoyed this movie. I recommend it to anyone who considers themselves artistically inclined.
But seriously, don’t stop with half an hour to go. That’s the lowest part of every movie. Learn from my mistakes.
My score: 9/10
