The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

5 minutes in the movie, you get tired of the soulless aesthetic that is presumed to be cool but is just straight ugly and boring, let alone the 'story', which is non-existent. Apparently the director draws comics. She should stick to it as she failed to understand that, unless your name is Ozu, movies are something else than just static shots with heads talking. Sadly, this movie is totally devoid of humor, too, unless the deadpan pimply face of the lead actress, who is also the director, is thought of as 'humor'. Ultimately, the movie's self-complacency often devolves into crass caricature.

No wonder they say the industry is in decline. I read that the producer got a major award for it. Well, as long as they keep congratulating each other for mediocrities such as this, it will keep declining. It wouldn't be a big deal if this kind of self-satisfied millennial production did not bring us Trump.

This has been the worst movie I've seen so far. The camera work, the offbeat deadbeat delivery trying to be quirky, the lighting, nothing seems to fit.

The movie tries to convey how boring and dull life can be, and I guess I can see that, but the writing is very on the nose about it.

The acting kills me. People go to school for acting, and yet I see this film, where people talk like six graders so the viewer understands every word.

And then the mundane nonexistent storyline about a mundane life with weird nude scenes. It just finalizes this piece to something I'll definitely steer clear of. I'll probably won't give this director another shot, I'm sorry, you missed!

My advice: don't watch it!

P. S.: Apart from what Lena Dunham said or did in public, 'Girls' was a great show and this movie seemed like it tried so hard to copy that.

What do we learn about the character from this film that we didn't know before? Not sure, except to say that she's moving through life not sensing like she's finding what she wants or is looking for. I'm not sure I've seen a sex comedy that was exclusively about sexual need and lack of fulfillment.

Joanna Arnow writes, directs, and stars in this. She's also frequently naked. Considering the description above you should understand the nudity is likely not present for titillation but to show the character putting herself out there for partners who don't anywhere near as vulnerable. The movie is about her dissatisfaction with everything despite her best efforts to change some things.

In that sense, I think it will be relatable to many. The fact it's not flashy and the performances are entirely of the natural, or subtle deadpan variety means it won't appeal to many. I found it quite funny but it took me some time to get a handle on her style which is described as 'mosaic' although I would have described them as a series of sketches as opposed to a linear narrative. I look forward to seeing more from Arnow if she continues to make movies.

Greetings again from the darkness. It's billed as a comedy, though for many, the funniest part may be in trying to remember the film's title. Deadpan reaches a new level in this debut feature film from actor-writer-director-producer-editor Joanna Arnow. It's tough to recall any film that more belongs to one person. Indie filmmaker Miranda July's work is the closest I can think of, yet in comparison, her work comes closer to mainstream Spielberg than it does to this one from Ms. Arnow. None of that is meant to be harsh, it's simply a challenge to describe this film to anyone who hasn't seen it ... or even to someone who has.

The film is divided into five chapters, each named for the key "other" characters (not named Ann). Arnow stars as Ann, and the opening scene finds her in bed next to the much older Allen (Scott Cohen). It's here we discover she's age 33 and has been Allen's submissive since age 24. In fact, two of the chapters are named "Allen", and Ann even suggests they were "destined to be together". She makes this proclamation after a couple of attempts to try a modern approach to dating, each creating complications for her. These ventures are presented as vignettes and include a musician, a sleepover with her sister, a role-play costumer, dating app (mis) matches, and a film buff with a love of pickled herring. To cap it off, these interactions provide a certain symmetry with Ann's soulless work at a generic corporation. Imagine being rewarded with a one-year acknowledgement after you've worked there more than three years. You are getting a sense of Ann's personality ... somewhat less than memorable.

Ann is slumpy and frumpy, and her deadpan delivery masks a sharp wit and a spark that rarely comes through to others. As she begins the foundation of a more traditional relationship with Chris (Babak Tafti, "Billions"), her path to self-discovery seems to open up ... although that path may or may not surprise you by this point. Some of the vignettes are shockingly brief, and many feature Ann in an exposed (literally) state of vulnerability. As the vignettes zip by, watching this isn't dissimilar to scrolling through a feed. Joanna Arnow's real life parents (David Arnow, Barbara Weiserbs) play her parents here, and serve up the only raised voices in the film as they sing an animated version of "Solidarity". And no, Ann's relationship with her parents is not much different than the rest of her life. At times, this 'comedy' feels like a beatdown, but leaves us with one key life lesson: pay attention the first time you ask, "What college did you go to?".

Opens April 26, 2024.

From the second the fil starts to the closing credits, you'll laugh so hard you'll have a hard time catching your breath. It's just non-stop action, one-liners, and zingers coming at you. DUCK! Here comes another one! Wow! What an amazing movie-going experience!

Okay, I lied. In reality, I had to qquit this dreadful film after about 30 minutes. It was going absolutely no where. I think a better title for the film would be: "The feeling that something is going to actually happen has passed." Yes, it's that boring. Naturaly Rotten Tomatoes gave it a high rating. Something like an 86. But that was the critic's rating. The viewer rating was in the mid 20s. Trust the viewer's rating on this one. It reminded me of a film by that Greek fella where absolutely nothing happens for hours on end.

If you need something to put you to seep, forget the Melanonin or the Z-Quil. Just put this movie on and you'll be fast asleep in no time flat!