Immediately after the opening credits, I was intrigued.
The Look: The cinematography by Barry Peterson and how particular scenes were framed and lit, boggled me. Hats off to the directors, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, each scene seems to execute in this avant garde direction that we usually don’t see in comedies. Mesmerized by the specification of each shot, you would wonder, “is this necessary?”, then gaily come into terms, “YES!”. In the middle of the film we get a wonderful yet zany long continuous shot of the characters being chased, while still illustrating their quirks and revealing a sense of atmospheric claustrophobia along the way. It would’ve made Alfonso Cuarón proud. And this is just how appreciable the direction was, it was just icing on the cake. The scenes didn’t need to be biting and imaginative, but the filmmakers utilized the tools, and that was admirable.
Glass Tables: The comedy is quite charming. The entire film is anchored by the leads, played by Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams. You understand their chemistry, their connection through trivia, board games, and film references, not one moment you’ll feel detached by their relationship, and that was adorable. McAdams gives the most memorable performance between the two, and perhaps because we rarely watch her in this strange element. Although she is a great dramatic actor, seeing her doing similar roles would be quite enjoyable, and not to say she wasn’t great in such comedies as Mean Girls and her infamous role in The Hot Chick (the latter was a joke, please don’t watch and support The Hot Chick), seeing her in highbrow comedies would be refreshing.
Lastly, praise Mark Perez’s script. It was witty, quirky, and never halfhearted. Each scene had its own punchline yet, the entire film as a whole, was never stagnant. Everything worked well, in this Rube Goldberg kind of way. The entire supporting cast also delivered with some memorable moments too, most notably, Jesse Plemons character. One of today’s great character actors, he immersed himself in this film, and the payoff is great.
Wouldn’t be a surprise if this film will have a cult following. It’s deserving. A hilarious experience overall.
Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
Written by Mark Perez
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