Don't Think Twice

"I think for anyone - male or female - in improv, the biggest thing to get over is the fear. I think every improviser has that." Rachel Dratch

Don't Think Twice makes you think more than once about not just the enormous demands of comedy, including fear of failure, but also about doing anything for a profession that may give you little to no compensation other than the joy of doing what you love and are good at.

More than anything else, this comedy makes a poignant comment on the irony of talented people making it while other talents struggle never to be recognized. Miles (writer-director Mile Birbiglia) feels it painfully as he sees Jack (Keegan-Michael Key) win a spot on Weekend Live (no doubt, Saturday Night Live) while Miles and his other colleagues labor in the lesser venue of NYC on the improv team, The Commune.

As the title of their improv group suggests, their work is communal, depending on an effort for which individual spotlights have no place. Ironically, Jack wins the Weekend Live job partially by standing out doing a solo routine even though his colleagues warned him against it.

Don't Think Twice does an effective job of showing the inherent contradictions of communal support and individual talent. In the matter of a romance between Jack and Sam (Gillian Jacobs), the tensions between their emerging rewards for their talent and sacrifice are subtly displayed in their loving routines and their personal love.

You would not be surprised to know how difficult it would be to determine which bits in the movie are improv and which are rehearsed, so good are the performers. Even that puzzle supports a theme about the intersection of reality and artifice, a benign clash between the creative improvisation and the spontaneity of life itself. Both bring their rewards and disappointments.

Here is a comedy with touches of real life--hey, I think that's what life itself is all about.

"Don't Think Twice" is a real, heartfelt dramedy about a improv comedy troupe named "The Communes". The film begins after this troupe has been going for maybe over a decade, and all of its members are in their 30s and still have day jobs to get by (except for Lindsay, who has rich parents). The film starts with their preparation for a show, and it shows their connection to each other.

Improv comedy is about the group, as one of the three rules in the beginning of the film states, but this film is about each character, and how they let go of the group and move on. Unlike many comedy films today, the comedy in the film is character based, and since the characters are the main focus of the film, the comedy is intertwined with every scene. It isn't a film that has "jokes" necessarily, but its a film about funny moments because of the interaction between the characters, which is very similar to improv.

As stated in the beginning of the film, there is no losing in improv. Even as they fall, they can make it good on the way down, and they do that in real life and in their improv towards the beginning of the film. The problems begin to arise when the rules they could follow so easily before begin to fall apart. They said it was all about the group, but they can't progress in their career and get on "Weekend Live" (an obvious jab at SNL) if they don't worry only about themselves. They can't say yes to everything if they have to look out for themselves first. They have to think first if they're doing written material.

The highlight of the film is its performances and writing, but it is a visually interesting film in some regards. Scenes are shot with care and attention to the state of the characters. For instance, there is one scene in which Samantha is doing her last improv show alone, and during her performance she realizes that, even though she loves them, she likes being away from her troupe, and especially Jack. The scene is shot closer to her face and with a mire shallow depth of view as it progresses and she becomes more satisfied with her independence.

So, obviously the group begins to fall apart after Jack goes to "Weekend Live", but they end up accepting their maturity and realizing the only way they could keep the group together is to let each person do what's best for themselves.

This is the kind of film Judd Apatow wants to make: it isn't shot boringly, the comedy is real, the characters are relatable, and the drama doesn't feel forced.

I wanted to see this movie because it incorporated some of my favorite actors. I wasn't disappointed, not only by their performances, but by the writing itself. The movie was laugh out loud funny but also poignant and touching. I recommended it on Twitter and told everyone they should go see it. It was a great date movie too -- my husband and I, who often have fairly different tastes in movies and TV -- both really enjoyed it. It was sweet enough for me and had enough humor and action for him. I also love that it was an indie flick and a labor of love.

Highly recommend!

One great quality of the film is that the acting feels natural, actual people having actual conversations. But the actors are pretty much playing themselves. It's cheating, but still entertaining.

Aside from one shallow trait (this one likes to draw, this one has rich parents, this one is Gillian Jacobs, etc.), the characters are the same person: Snarky, mopey, likes to mess with people, and appreciates the art of impov.

Rants about growing old and how following your dreams can be a nightmare are sprinkled throughout the movie, but not in a painful way.

I would value this movie more if I haven't seen so many indie comedies that talk about the same thing.

Unless you're not tired of indie movies yet and you still like seeing your favorite indie comedy actors do stuff, you'll probably just shrug your shoulders.

One of the best movies of the year. Grounded, realistic, funny, and bittersweet. If you want a pure comedy, this isn't the movie for you. It certainly is funny, but it is also spend a fair chunk of the movie on characters and conflict. It's dramatic parts actually ended up working better than the comedic elements for me.

The acting was surprisingly very good for actors who have made their names in comedy and improv. Gillian Jacobs and Chris Gethard were the standouts, though each of the actors has at least one standout moment.

Not for everyone certainly, but very good and one of the best of the year. I think I'll finally get around to seeing Birbiglia's other movie "Sleepwalk With We" now.