Don't Think Twice (2016)

I love this movie so much

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

From my favorite movies..

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

What supposedly was described as one of the best comedies of that year, "Don't Think Twice" instead turned out to be an average drama.Fueled by Keegan-Michael Key's performance as a improv actor aspiring to become a regular cast member of a "Saturday Night Live" type of show, what felt that could have been his actual real life climb into the industry, the movie serves as a look behind the scenes at the relationship between actors and the disbandment of a tight group of friends.The premise of the movie is good, but at the end it does not feel fulfilled, lacking a conclusion.

Don't Think Twice is a thoughtful film but not really a funny comedy of a New York based improvisational troupe called The Commune whose members have to re-examine their goals when one of them has been recruited to a Saturday Night Live type show.Jack (Keegan-Michael Key) life begins to change as he needs to keep his new television paymasters happy, he slowly retreats from his comedy pals some of them who are jealous of his success.Director/writer/actor Mike Birbiglia has written a love letter to improvisational comedy and the stage scenes were improvised. The actors who got training for this type of comedy perform it well but as with much improvisational comedy it never is that funny.The drama of one person's success on the others does make for a better drama and watch our for a Ben Stiller cameo.

*Minor Spoilers Ahead* This movie centres around an improv comedy troupe named the Commune. The group is comprised of Jack (Keegan Michael-Key), Samantha (Gillian Jacobs), Miles (Mike Birbiglia), Lindsay (Tami Saghar)and Allison (Kate Micucci). They do their shows out of a theatre that's closing down. Admission for the shows are cheap but they seem to genuinely love what they do. Most of the members of the group have been at this awhile, they're all in their 30s and they're all hitting the point where they're wondering if they should move on. After a show, Jack and Samantha get a call to audition for Weekend Live (an alternative version of Saturday Night Live). Since they're in a relationship, they prepare for it together but when the big day comes, Jack kills his audition and Samantha panics and doesn't show up for hers. Jack gets the job and struggles to balance his new life and keep his relationships with his friends.This movie can be looked at two different ways because its a drama disguised as a comedy. What this movie gets right is the dramatic aspects. This is a grounded and sweet story and I was impressed that the movie maintained that sense of realism throughout. They drew realistic characters and when those characters came into conflict, it didn't feel forced and the fallout didn't stretch how believable the plot felt. Although these characters aren't always fun to follow (they're easy to like but Jack's ascension coupled with his friends failure brings out the worse in them) I liked them all to varying degrees. This movie is ultimately about the nature of friendship and change and it seemed like it rang pretty true in the end.My problem with this movie is that it reminds me a lot of the Adam Sandler & Seth Rogen movie Funny People. When I say that, I mean that this is a movie about comedians that isn't very funny. I could count the times that I laughed during this on one hand. So much of the humour is done through their skits and their improv shows and it feels like you're missing the context for the jokes. It's like constantly listening to in-jokes and not having been there to understand why they're funny. So they nail one part and miss on the other, in my opinion it could be worse.I don't have a ton of notes about the acting. I think that everyone performed well, it's interesting that comedians tend to be decent dramatic actors. They continue that tradition here, they sell what the movie needs them to sell and the cast is more than competent in their respective roles. I don't mean to diminish their work but this is more of an ensemble movie and they're collectively solid without many especially strong or weak performances in the bunch.I'm glad this movie got some critical acclaim but it never reached that next level for me. To me, this is ultimately a small movie that hits its mark. I'd heard lots of good stuff about Mike Birbiglia going in and I walked away impressed with his work. I feel like this movie could have been made by someone like the Duplass brothers and I mean that as a compliment. If you're interested in seeing this, I'd still recommend it but I would also recommend tempering expectations.

I was really excited about this movie (since it's produced by Ira Glass and has Chris Gethard and Mike Birbiglia on the cast). It didn't let me down. It won't be everyone's cup of tea since it's slow and nothing much really happens. But to me, it felt real and emotional and the acting was top notch. It's more of a drama than a comedy so go in expecting that. It's beautifully executed and it seemed like the cast really had a good time filming it. It's not a blockbuster but it's a small little movie that will warm your heart. I actually teared up a little bit towards the end. Give it a watch and support the awesome comedians in it.