Don’t Think Twice Blu-ray Review
Improvisation is an art form in the comedy world that truly is a team effort. You have to riff off what the others are doing with the material and build on it. It is quite different from stand up which is a solitary endeavor. DON’T THINK TWICE peers into the improvisation world and with struggling comics as a whole. It is a fantastic piece that deals with relationships, jealousy and the path that people make in their lives.
The Commune is an improvisational group in New York that involves six people. Keegan-Michael Key is Jack, an ambitious member who has an insatiable drive to move up in his profession. Gillian Jacobs is Samantha, Jack’s girlfriend and a person who believes whole heartedly in the group and clings to it like it is her family. Mike Birbiglia (he also directed and wrote the incisive screenplay) is Miles, the creator of the group who is bitter about not making it big yet and is jealous about people he knows having more success than him. Chris Gethard is Bill and he’s fighting off his father’s attempts to get him in the real estate business. Bill makes money handing out samples at a grocery store, but he fashions himself as a good comedy writer. Kate Micucci is Allison. She’s quiet, but quite intelligent. She’s a cartoonist who has been working on a graphic novel for years. Then there is Lindsay who is played by Tami Sagher. She comes from a rich family and still lives at home. Some in the group resent that she doesn’t have to struggle to make ends meet. Most of them strive to be on Weekend Live which is obviously patterned after Saturday Night Live.
Birbiglia knows the material and directs it in an incisive manner. Each relationship is explored and dissected. The improvisational pieces that are sprinkled throughout the film crackle with urgency. They show how well the actors work with each other and feed off their vibes. That is exactly how improvisation works. There is a short piece in the beginning that goes over the birth of this comedy form. It also spells out the three truths that are involved and they are say yes, It’s all about the group and don’t think. The film explains what each of these truths entails. In short, you build on what the other person has presented, no one person is bigger than anyone else and just go with the flow. Each night should present something new to go on and put out in the world. The rituals before the shows are exercises in precision and spontaneity. It is like fine tuning a fast sports car. You always need to tinker to get it just right.
Two big events surround the first half of the movie. Bill’s father gets into an accident and is clinging to life in the hospital. On the good news front, Jack lands a role on Weekend Live. These events color what happen with the group and how each member responds to it. Miles seethes with jealousy with Jack’s good fortune. He feels since he founded the group and he mentored Jack that he should be on the same path. At a party he states he was close in 2003 to landing a role on the prestigious show. Bill in his spare time teaches aspiring comedic actors and teaches them about improv. With this position comes the perks of bedding young females who look up to him and think that he can lead them to future fame and fortune. One such female sees through him with a direct and withering comment. Birbiglia the screenwriter doesn’t hold back in showing his character Miles in a negative light. Miles stews in his failures and just doesn’t know why he is not more successful at the ripe old age of 36.
Samantha is the idealist of the group. She is determined to keep it afloat as the building where they perform is sold and wants them out shortly. Both Samantha and Jack get auditions at the same time at Weekend Live. Samantha though backs out at the last moment. She knows this is not what she should be doing. She takes over Miles’s acting class after he hands it over to her. She at first falters at this role, but slowly grows into it. It fits her like some nice winter mitts. She doesn’t crave fame like Jack does. And that is not a knock on Jack. This causes problems with their relationship which is played out with a delicate balance. Jack may be playing chess, while Stephanie is playing checkers.
Bill and Allison team up to do a writing pack for Jack to present to Timothy (Seth Barrish in a nice subtle Lorne Michaels role), the creator and producer of the show. Allison shows her insecurities when she crumples up the paper of one promising sketch that she wrote. Jack though is warned not to give Timothy anything from his friends and that he should just concentrate on surviving his first season. For his part, Timothy puts Jack on edge with his cryptic comments on Jack’s future with the show and by taking him off some skits. He also recommends that he writes for himself instead of relying on others. In the background, Miles is stewing about not being included with Allison and Bill.
I liked seeing the little touches of showing how live television can be frantic and constantly moving. Birbiglia also displayed the quieter moments of Jack and host Lena Dunham backstage and grooving to the musical act. It is this attention to detail that wins you over.
The character of Allison is one of the more fascinating ones. She stays in her lane with the group, but secretly craves something more. She doesn’t want to just rely on her parents to make it happen. There is a brilliant scene with Allison and Miles that brings it all together. It really hits at the matter of these two characters and how they are going about their lives. This is some powerful stuff.
DON’T THINK TWICE is a winning film where you truly get to know the characters and understand their plight. Each of them have their own arc that makes sense to them and makes you want to see how they are doing in the years to come. This is a film that is worth checking out.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: New York is presented in all its hustle and bustle. The quieter parts of the city are even featured and you get the feel of the city like never before.
Audio: The sound was mostly good. There were times where the character spoke in hushed terms that made it somewhat difficult. Overall the sound quality was more than adequate.
The Commune (6:43): All of the characters in the group are discussed by the various actors.
Don’t Think Twice: The Art of Improv (3:09): Improvisation is tackled and dissected.
The Creative Team (5:09): The actors shower praise on Birbiglia and what he was like on the set. The producer, actors and director also chime in on the story and the genesis of the project.
Improv-Deleted Scenes (2:56): These scenes involve the group warming up and other improvisational bits.
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