Movie Reaction: Don't Think Twice

Formula: Sleepwalk with Me ^ Saturday Night Live

This is the 300th Movie Reaction that I've done for this blog of mine (Apparently, it all started with Drive). It's hard to find a movie that's more appropriate than Don't Think Twice for such a benchmark. After all, this is a film about doing something over and over again for little or no attention because you enjoy doing it. I've put a lot of time into this blog. A lot. When I think about it, a crazy amount of time, and on a good day, I'm getting only a hundred views. That's really not a lot, especially when you consider that I've been posting regularly for five years now. The idea of stopping is crazy to me though. I'm building something, even if I don't know what, exactly. I don't know if I do this for me or for attention, but at this point, it's part of my identity. If I don't do this, what do I do?

All of this ties perfectly into Don't Think Twice, Mike Birbiglia's follow up to Sleepwalk with Me, which I adored. However, instead of the rise of a stand-up career, Don't Think Twice follows the end of an improv group. Mike Birbiglia, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Keegan-Michael Key, Tami Sagher, and Chris Gethard are all members of a improv troupe called "The Commune". They've all been in the troupe for a while, but a mix of circumstances are pulling them apart. Their theater is closing due to financial problems. One member, Jack (Key), gets hired to work for Weekend Live (a thinly veiled SNL cypher), which raises jealousy and resentment from the rest of the group. The rest of them are all competing for writing jobs on Weekend Live that none are likely to get.

Birbiglia does a fantastic job showing all the different kinds of personalities in this world. Jack is ambitious, working toward bigger things. Miles (Birbiglia) is the founder, who trained everyone in the troupe and hasn't accepted that he's not good enough to succeed at a higher level. Samantha (Jacobs) loves The Commune and doesn't see why anyone needs anything more than that. Bill (Gethard) is trying to mend his relationship with his recently injured father who looks at him as a disappointment. Lindsay (Sagher) is distanced from the group because she is lucky enough to get a lot of financial assistance from her parents, which has led to her having a questionable work ethic. Allison (Micucci) is paralyzed by the idea of failing if she aims for something bigger. These are all familiar characters and, with the exception of maybe Jacobs, their stories all go in directions you expect by the end. The skill is in how well each story is balanced and the authenticity of the characters.

I'm not sure how this film will play to most people. I love the comedy world and all the romantic ideas behind it. I've spent countless hours listening to podcasts and watching programs that talk about what happens behind the scenes. This is pretty ideal for me. I think the film is generally very enjoyable, but I do wonder how this plays to people who, say, don't know the name Del Close before coming into the movie.

The movie does tap into a very specific pet peeve of mine. I don't like when dramatic, climactic moments happen on stage, specifically in the middle of a stand-up or comedy show. It happens a surprising amount, and every time it does, I imagine being in the audience when this is happening and how super uncomfortable it would be. I paid $5 to laugh an see a show, not see this person's life fall apart. What works in a movie doesn't necessarily translate to a real situation. As I said, it's a pretty specific issue.

Despite the cast, this is much more of a drama with moments of comedy in it. A lot of the laughs are uncomfortable ones in which you aren't always sure you're allowed to be laughing. This is career-best work for a lot of the actors. I love how personal Mike Birbiglia's movies are (he wrote and directed this) and I hope he keeps getting opportunities to make these shaggy little character studies.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend