Character-driven comedy is too wrapped up in its own chaos

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Character-driven comedy is too wrapped up in its own chaos

I’ll be right there Could have been an overly-Hollywoodified, cheesy movie. The first 20 minutes of the film drew me in and worried me. Although well told, the film has all the elements that are typically exploited for overstated melodrama – a would-be deadbeat son with drug addiction, a cantankerous soon-to-be grandmother uttering quippy lines (brilliantly delivered by Succession actor Johnny Berlin), and an eight-month pregnant, unwed mother. The The film’s structure is far from cookie-cutterHowever, chronic days in the life of a midlife-crisis-saddled protagonist in an almost widget-like style.

Director

Brendan Walsh

Release date

September 6, 2024

Writers

Jim Begarley

Figure

Edie Falco, Johnny Berlin, Bradley Whitford, Kaylee Carter, Charlie Tahan, Michael Rapaport, Sepideh Moafee, Michael Beach, Jack Mulhern

runtime

98 minutes

The eclectic ensemble is I’ll be right it’s the strongest element

Great character scenes breathe life into the film

We are immediately introduced to Wanda (this icon Edie Falco), the protagonist of the film. however, Our first moments with Wanda are hardly about herBut about the eclectic bunch she calls family. In one of the first scenes of the film, Winda takes her elderly, gambling addict and lifelong smoker mother Grace (Berlin) to a doctor’s appointment. The loving sarcasm of this sequence is written so believably, and I recognize the beats from spending time with my own extended family at Thanksgiving.

After Wanda drops Grace off, her day helping the family is far from over. She has to keep up with her pregnant daughter Sarah (Kaylee Carter) and her recovering drug-addicted son, Mark (an outstanding Charlie Tahan), as phone call after phone call keeps her away from her next job. This Frenetic energy really works for I’ll be right thereWe are immediately overwhelmed by the turmoil of Wanda’s life. Wanda’s boyfriend Marshall sums it up well after she tells him her date, reacting with an exhausted “Wow, that’s a lot of people.”

In addition to the amusing one-liners and reactions, one of the strongest elements of I’ll be right there is the script. While some scenes are written with cliche language, The film has the occasional scene that carries the strength of a stage play. In one such scene, the women of the film—Sarah, Wanda, and Grace—go out for ice cream and have a naturalistic, winding conversation that showcases their intergenerational bond with humor and heart. Slower moments like this flourish, and coupled with scene-stealing moments from side characters like Eugene (Jack Mulhern), the script often shines.

Sometimes I’ll be right it’s intentional messiness gets the better of it

I’ll be right there meandering too much in the last half


Edie Falco as Wanda looks distressed with her mom in the background in I'll Be Right There

It wasn’t until later that I’ll be right there Verbalizes topics previously relegated to subtext. These themes included Wanda’s deep affection for her family. Feeling responsible for her grown children and ex-husband Henry (and his cabal of new kids), Wanda loses herself along the way. To put it simply: Wanda doesn’t know what she wants.

Unlike her status in her family, Wanda is not the glue that holds everything together, but a vessel for the plot.

The idea of ​​a passive protagonist is not inherently bad. Wanda’s story is relatable and is well played by Falco. Wow I’ll be right there It turns out when Wanda’s meandering quality ends up projecting too much onto the outline of the narrative itself. Lost in life, the film is similarly left not knowing what to do with Wanda. Unlike her status in her family, Wanda is not the glue that holds everything together, but a vessel for the plot. This leads to frustration, because Wanda is much less active and interesting than those around her.

At the end of I’ll be right thereAll the beautiful hectic energy that gave its opening moments Kinesus faded away. His realistic, understated scenes are dropped in favor of exploring Wanda’s romantic relationships. Although her reflection is eventually told – in a frustratingly direct manner that wants it out for us – Wanda is a walking contradiction. This leaves the film thematically messy, and I didn’t know what he wanted to say. I’ll be right there Is worth watching for the acting and occasionally fantastic writing, but it ends on an inconclusive and unfulfilling note.

I’ll be right there is in theaters on September 6 and on demand September 27. The film is 98 minutes long and not rated.

Wanda tries to hold her own life together while simultaneously taking care of everyone else around her.

Pros

  • Naturalistic conversations lead the film
  • The film’s frenetic energy really works for its story
Cons

  • Wanda is too passive a character
  • Wanda’s reflection is unnecessarily laid out to the audience too close to the end

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