Premature: SXSW Review
 |
| Enjoyable but lightweight teen comedy is less novel than expected |
Dan Beers riffs on Harold Ramis in a sex-centric take on "Groundhog Day."
AUSTIN — The recent loss of Harold Ramis does no favors to Dan Beers's Premature, a modest but likeable spin on Groundhog Day that would play better for audiences who hadn't spent the last couple of weeks reflecting on what an unimprovable film that was, and how rewatchable it is even after two decades. When compared to Bill Murray's eternally-repeating day of self-improvement, the struggle of a lackluster high school kid to figure out his love life by living the same day over and over is small potatoes. The novelty here — that this adolescent's life hits the Reset button whenever he ejaculates — is good for a few laughs, and may be weird enough to attract a small audience in theaters. But the execution isn't outrageous or funny enough to make a big splash in the teen-comedy marketplace.John Karna plays Rob, whose plans for this school day are to make a good impression with a college interviewer, survive the usual bullying in the hallway, and spend a quiet evening with good friend Gabrielle (Katie Findlay) watching the national spelling bee finals. But life intervenes in ways both cruel and miraculous: Though things go badly on many fronts, he also winds up having an unexpected tutoring session with Angela (Carlson Young), the school's resident object of lust, who invites him to her place and has more than studying on her mind. Just as that scenario reaches its climax, though, Rob wakes up as if from a wet dream, starting the same day over again.
The script, by Beers and Mathew Harawitz, offers a little less invention in this endless-repeat scenario than it might have. But Karna's initially stonefaced performance grows more enjoyable as Rob embraces the fact that he can do what he want at school, safe in the knowledge that there will be no consequences as soon as he does what teenage boys are best at — so long as he can find a private place for a few moments of self-abuse, he'll escape to a fresh day. He briefly becomes "the Douchey Lama," philosophically embracing a life without repercussions.
An early focus on getting things right in bed with Angela plays out halfheartedly, and Rob's eventual attempt to figure out why he's stuck in a loop in hopes of escaping it proceeds without real clues. Though viewers will draw their own conclusions about what Rob's priorities should be, the film doesn't really lead them gently in that direction. Findlay makes an appealing should-be romantic interest; Alan Tudyk, as a surprisingly emotional interviewer, goes broader than usual but gets many of the film's biggest laughs. Tech departments are fine if similarly unsubtle; though the direction has some clumsy moments, they evoke '80s low-budget comedies in ways that may be intentional.
The script, by Beers and Mathew Harawitz, offers a little less invention in this endless-repeat scenario than it might have. But Karna's initially stonefaced performance grows more enjoyable as Rob embraces the fact that he can do what he want at school, safe in the knowledge that there will be no consequences as soon as he does what teenage boys are best at — so long as he can find a private place for a few moments of self-abuse, he'll escape to a fresh day. He briefly becomes "the Douchey Lama," philosophically embracing a life without repercussions.
An early focus on getting things right in bed with Angela plays out halfheartedly, and Rob's eventual attempt to figure out why he's stuck in a loop in hopes of escaping it proceeds without real clues. Though viewers will draw their own conclusions about what Rob's priorities should be, the film doesn't really lead them gently in that direction. Findlay makes an appealing should-be romantic interest; Alan Tudyk, as a surprisingly emotional interviewer, goes broader than usual but gets many of the film's biggest laughs. Tech departments are fine if similarly unsubtle; though the direction has some clumsy moments, they evoke '80s low-budget comedies in ways that may be intentional.
Nordling's Day One Of SXSW 2014 - PREMATURE!
Dan Beers, the director of PREMATURE, was an associate producer of Wes Anderson's THE LIFE AQUATIC, but his feature directorial debut is nothing like that film. Instead, PREMATURE is what Hollywood people would call "high-concept" and I'm sure the pitch went something along the lines of "It's GROUNDHOG DAY meets AMERICAN PIE!" And while PREMATURE is pretty much exactly that, what saves the movie is that PREMATURE is incredibly funny, with witty dialogue and winning, heartfelt performances. I laughed a lot at PREMATURE, and while the movie is predictable, it's predictable in comfortable ways. It's also profane, disgusting, and incredibly amusing.
What's essential in making a teen sex comedy like PREMATURE work is that the degradation and humiliation that hits our hero isn't unduly tragic. Rob's (John Karna) day starts out like any other - dreaming of having sex with a three-boobed girl, only to wake up with wet underwear and a disapproving mom. It's a big day for Rob, because he's having an interview with a college representative from Georgetown (Alan Tudyk) and if his life is going to happen he has to get into Georgetown. It's not exactly the life that Rob has chosen for himself, but he wants to make his dad and mom happy. He's also still a virgin, and so like any 17-year-old virgin he thinks of sex constantly. His virginity is more of a burden that he wants to shed than an experience to treasure at this point. His best friend (Craig Roberts) has had sex already, and relishes telling Rob about it at every waking moment.
What's essential in making a teen sex comedy like PREMATURE work is that the degradation and humiliation that hits our hero isn't unduly tragic. Rob's (John Karna) day starts out like any other - dreaming of having sex with a three-boobed girl, only to wake up with wet underwear and a disapproving mom. It's a big day for Rob, because he's having an interview with a college representative from Georgetown (Alan Tudyk) and if his life is going to happen he has to get into Georgetown. It's not exactly the life that Rob has chosen for himself, but he wants to make his dad and mom happy. He's also still a virgin, and so like any 17-year-old virgin he thinks of sex constantly. His virginity is more of a burden that he wants to shed than an experience to treasure at this point. His best friend (Craig Roberts) has had sex already, and relishes telling Rob about it at every waking moment.
All Rob wants to do is spend time with his other friend Gabrielle (Katie Findlay) and watch the spelling bee together, but Rob's dick, to be frank, is getting him into trouble, and when he winds up tutoring the class slut everyone calls "Afterschool Special" (Carlson Young) - because there have been a thousand of those shows about girls like her - Rob winds up making out with her and having an orgasm. Which, inexplicably, puts him back where he started, in bed, wet underwear, disapproving mom. Turns out everytime Rob comes, his day starts all over again, and each humiliation repeats itself, over and over.
PREMATURE is as crude and juvenile as the plot suggests, but it's still charming as hell and hilarious, with terrific performances across the board. The dialogue is vulgar and at times in astoundingly bad taste, but PREMATURE gets away with it because it has a huge heart, and that makes all the difference. The script by Dan Beers and Mathew Herawitz is crude but smart, and yeah, while it's very reminiscent of GROUNDHOG DAY, there is enough variety in the plot to keep it interesting and fresh.
I can imagine a movie like PREMATURE to be wildly successful once it gets released. It's an easy sell, and it's consistently funny, and it's got a warm heart at its center. Even when the movie gets a bit too ridiculous (unlike GROUNDHOG DAY, PREMATURE tries to explain the reason behind all the time loops and it gets bogged down in the details) it has a steady need to entertain. Vulgar without being rude, and witty without being full of itself, PREMATURE is entertaining and never not funny, and raunchy in all the right ways. Dan Beers has crafted a pretty comical, honest, and endearing little sex comedy, and you should seek it out when it gets released.
That much was clear at a far smaller venue a few blocks away, later in the evening, with the premiere of Dan Beers' feature-length debut "Premature." A teen sex comedy unapologetically indebted to "Groundhog Day," Beers' giddy feature embraces the sophomoric tradition of "Porky's"-era horny male humor with a warm, consistently funny attitude, like a scrappier version of "American Pie." The premise alone virtually seals the deal: Smarmy virgin Rob (confident newcomer John Karna) is battling a rotten day with his foul-mouthed buddy (Craig Roberts) and fretting over a college interview with an irreverent recruitment officer (Alan Tudyk), before seeking respite with a fleeting sexual encounter. But that's when "Premature" goes gonzo: Poor Rob discovers that each time he ejaculates, the same day starts from scratch. Even Phil in "Groundhog Day" didn't have to shoulder such an awkward burden.
As Rob repeatedly experiences the same few hours of humiliation, eventually taking advantage of the situation to figure out his real priorities in life, Beers' screenplay manages to sustain the outrageous scenario with a string of jokes that don't take the underlying goofiness for granted. Instead, the writer-director builds on its crass foundations with constant inspired one-liners. (Example: "You're going to love sex. It's like jerking off with the best sock on the planet.) "Premature" even manages to uncover hints of depth as Rob recognizes that his best source of longterm companionship lies with his supportive childhood friend (Katie Findlay).
The achievement has strangely bittersweet connotations by arriving at SXSW just a few weeks after the death of "Groundhog Day" director Harold Ramis, suggesting that the real comedic innovation of the Second Second legends has migrated to the microbudget space. The degree to which "Premature" flaunts its stupid gags while containing an approachable vibe is an altogether more satisfying outcome than any frame of "Chef." Favreau's inoffensively mediocre comedy reeks of privilege, but "Premature" is a gross-out farce that's consistently down to earth.
Premature is a sexual Groundhog Day. Rob Crabbe (Jon Karna) lives the same day over and over again, and it resets every time he climaxes. When you think about it, this really is how Groundhog Day would go if Bill Murray was a high schooler. Premature knows we’ve seen Groundhog Day and can catch on quick, so it doesn’t waste a lot of time repeating daily occurrences before Rob tries to change things. The editing style helps a lot too by montaging through some of the redundancies.
As a teen movie, Premature is cavalier with teen sexuality, just like the dangerous ‘80s movies of John Hughes. There’s coercion, but Bill Murray used manipulation to score too. In Rob’s defense he knows the day is going to reset and she’ll be fine. If writer/director Dan Beers didn’t go there, he’d be playing it safe. There’s groping, and clever slut shaming is still slut shaming. Angela (Carlson Young) is the blonde babe Rob always pined for even though his brunette best friend Gabrielle (Katie Findlay) is totally lovely. You don’t need to live this day over and over again to know where this is going to end up. It’s a trope, but it’s a good trope.
Beers assembled a great young cast for this. John Karna is an everyteen, way cooler than us but can play the put upon teen like we all still feel. Angela is the fantasy object and Young owns it. As the friend we all know Rob should be with all along, Findlay is warm and loving. As the sleazy best friend Stanley, Craig Roberts goes intense on the vulgarity, and seems to know Stanley’s an A-hole. I think some supporting actors mistake that character for a wise sage. Stanley is entertaining for his accurate portrayal of a misguided hormonal teenager. In the outrageous role of Arthur, a sort of high school Godfather, Adam Riegler is this generation’s McLovin. That’s right, it’s already time for a new McLovin.
The movie struggles in parts to overcome its sloppy production values, while a couple of mean-spirited jokes (including one involving the assault of a female classmate and another centered on racist stereotypes) fall flat. For the most part, however, "Premature" maintains a consistently enjoyable feeling due to a shrewd script that foregrounds the genuine emotional connection between the characters in spite of the ubiquitous silliness around them. Most of all, though, it succeeds by simply offering up one joke after another. There may not be a more shockingly irreverent bout of lewd humor this year than the sequence in which Rob escapes a horde of bullies from the high school volleyball by jerking off in front of them.
The achievement has strangely bittersweet connotations by arriving at SXSW just a few weeks after the death of "Groundhog Day" director Harold Ramis, suggesting that the real comedic innovation of the Second Second legends has migrated to the microbudget space. The degree to which "Premature" flaunts its stupid gags while containing an approachable vibe is an altogether more satisfying outcome than any frame of "Chef." Favreau's inoffensively mediocre comedy reeks of privilege, but "Premature" is a gross-out farce that's consistently down to earth.
SXSW 2014 Review: Premature
Premature is a sexual Groundhog Day. Rob Crabbe (Jon Karna) lives the same day over and over again, and it resets every time he climaxes. When you think about it, this really is how Groundhog Day would go if Bill Murray was a high schooler. Premature knows we’ve seen Groundhog Day and can catch on quick, so it doesn’t waste a lot of time repeating daily occurrences before Rob tries to change things. The editing style helps a lot too by montaging through some of the redundancies.
As a teen movie, Premature is cavalier with teen sexuality, just like the dangerous ‘80s movies of John Hughes. There’s coercion, but Bill Murray used manipulation to score too. In Rob’s defense he knows the day is going to reset and she’ll be fine. If writer/director Dan Beers didn’t go there, he’d be playing it safe. There’s groping, and clever slut shaming is still slut shaming. Angela (Carlson Young) is the blonde babe Rob always pined for even though his brunette best friend Gabrielle (Katie Findlay) is totally lovely. You don’t need to live this day over and over again to know where this is going to end up. It’s a trope, but it’s a good trope.
Beers assembled a great young cast for this. John Karna is an everyteen, way cooler than us but can play the put upon teen like we all still feel. Angela is the fantasy object and Young owns it. As the friend we all know Rob should be with all along, Findlay is warm and loving. As the sleazy best friend Stanley, Craig Roberts goes intense on the vulgarity, and seems to know Stanley’s an A-hole. I think some supporting actors mistake that character for a wise sage. Stanley is entertaining for his accurate portrayal of a misguided hormonal teenager. In the outrageous role of Arthur, a sort of high school Godfather, Adam Riegler is this generation’s McLovin. That’s right, it’s already time for a new McLovin.
No comments:
Post a Comment