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| Left to right: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler |
Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
Trailer in Discussion
Directed By: Jason Moore
Written By: Paula Pell
Starring: Kate McKinnon, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey
- Preamble -
If one has followed the blog long enough, you'll know that I generally like the works of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Both produced great NBC shows that rank as some of my favorite from the network. Their collaborations on the big screen however are a point of bigger contention for me. While Mean Girls saw them team up in a clever and inventive way, they were still supporting characters who weren't called upon to do anything necessarily showy. It was the teenage leads that got all of the big moments. This isn't to say that both didn't provide something great to it. Much like their work at the Golden Globes, they know how to be punchy and fun in the right situations.
Then there's movies like Baby Mama, which saw a more direct team-up between the two. While it wasn't a horrible film, it wasn't necessarily one that left strong confidence in me. It was enjoyable and I have to admit that it proved that I will watch anything with them in it. However, I don't have a lasting memory of the film, so I cannot comment on if the film is lukewarm or secretly really good. I don't know. To put it simpler: I don't really find immediate confidence in the duo getting together to produce just any movie they want.
Which is why I approach Sisters with some trepidation. I feel confident that I saw an ad for this months ago, but I don't remember a single joke from it. All I know is that they're supposedly playing against types, which could work out for the best. With Fey doing some solid work on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Poehler doing solid work on the final season of Parks and Recreation, I do think that there's no reason to be entirely cautious. They are funny ladies first and foremost. I just worry that their big screen work is lacking something more important to what made us love them in the first place. We'll just have to wait and see.
- Dissection -
So, this is Neighbors, but with sisters? I don't feel like this trailer is doing anyone a service. Maybe it could just be that as I get older, the raunchy comedies need to be more clever. All this really has is two top notch comedians delivering jokes that are not on their level. It starts with a few jokes about cutting bushes and devolves into a lot of debauchery humor. Is the film supposed to be about nostalgia and regressive behaviors? Is it about petty jealousy? I am not entirely sure, especially with the soundtrack that jumps from 80's music and lands on 00's music. There's not a lot that is really grabbing me about this trailer.
I am not saying that Sisters could be a bad movie, but it feels more like this is front loading the film with a lot of gags that are overblown and take away from the character building. I don't just laugh at women behaving badly. I need better reason than having a midlife crisis. I am sure that Fey and Poehler will give further depth to make the comedy work, but this isn't it. It just feels like a more generic comedy that wants to bank on the success of other female-centric films of this nature. I don't think it makes me care that much.
Which is a shame, because Poehler and Fey tend to so magnetic in their projects. I sense more personality and smarts, even in their dumber jokes. However, I don't get any big selling point here. All I know is that it is older women behaving like teenage girls, which isn't pleasant. At this point, I am more likely to trust reviews on this film before I trust a trailer, because it seems like an unpleasant, dumb experience. I know that the leads aren't exactly the biggest of household names, but if it cannot sell us on them doing decent jokes, then we're already in some sort of big trouble.
- One Sentence Sell -
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey star in a movie about behaving poorly with a bunch of bad jokes.
- Trove or Trash -
TRASH
Sorry, but I don't get much out of this, even as someone who is likely to be supportive of the two comedians' work. I am more likely to have seen this blindly than I would with a generic-looking trailer.
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