Sunday, August 28, 2016

Don't Think Twice Review

Seeing Don't Think Twice was a very rare movie going experience for me. I didn't have any real knowledge or connection to any of the actors in the movie, the plot was about things that don't really interest me and it felt like nothing really happened in the movie. Yet I have to say, I really enjoyed Don't Think Twice.

Don't Think Twice is about a group of friends that are part of a New York improv troupe. The main goal for the members of the troupe are to become a cast members of the hit show Weekend Live (basically Saturday Night Live). When one of the members ends up getting hired to join Weekend Live, the remaining members start to wonder what to do with their lives and tension starts to mount.

The movie is written and directed by Mike Birbiglia, who also stars in the movie. I have seen Mike in a couple movies, but I don't remember him from any of them. The only thing I remember him from is seeing him on Conan O'Brien's talk show. The movie also stars Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Gillian Jacobs (Community, I think), and then three comedians I have never heard of, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard and Tami Sagher. There are also a couple cameos from some famous comedians. I think not knowing the cast helped keep me from comparing them to previous roles and made it feel like they were just playing themselves in this movie.

What I really liked about Don't Think Twice was the connection and bond within the improv troupe. The movie did a really good job of making it seem like these were real friends that have been performing together for many years. It was fun watching them interact with each other and just witness them going through life together. One character has a family emergency come up and watching how the group came together felt special and authentic. Two members of the troupe are in a relationship and the way that it plays out was really emotional and kept me invested in the movie. It was also fun watching what ended up being a behind the scenes look at what it's like to get on a show like Saturday Night Live. For comedians, that show is the pinnacle of making it, so watching these characters strive to get there was interesting.

If I had to pick something I didn't like about the movie, I would probably have to say that for a movie about comedians, it isn't really that funny. Going into the movie, I thought it was going to be a comedy, but it ended up being more of a drama with the occasional laugh. But I would have to say I kind of preferred that it was a drama so it isn't really that much of a negative.

Don't Think Twice surprised me. All the actors are relatively new to me, the main subject of the movie was something that I have no interest in and nothing really happened in the movie, but I still had an enjoyable time watching it. I recommend seeing this movie. It is probably the most "real" movie I have seen this year and it surprisingly hit me emotionally.

4 out of 5 Stars

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