- Actors: Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard
- Director: Mike Birbiglia
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
- Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
- Region: All Regions
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Rated: R
- Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- Release Date: December 6, 2016
- Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018
While it may do
little to sway disbelievers into becoming fans of improv shows, a medium that
has long been viewed as the only step below stand-up comedy in the list of
shows that friends of entertainers dread attending out of mere obligation and
support, Don’t Think Twice is so
profoundly insightful in its discussion of larger issues that it ultimately
doesn’t matter what the art form is. This may sound somewhat crass considering
the weeks that the cast spent rehearsing and performing real improv shows,
which were filmed for inclusion in the final edit, but it is the way that
success effects their group dynamic which is well-thought out and insightful.
The improv, despite being edited down to presumably show the funniest of the
real material, lacks the kind of laughs to counter the spot-on criticism of
planned sketch comedy on shows like Saturday Night Live.
The stand-in for
SNL in Don’t Think Twice is a show
called “Weekend Live,” which even has a humorless dictator at the helm of the
production, a clear stand-in for Lorne Michaels. The comparison is so obvious
that Don’t Think Twice occasionally
feels single-mindedly focused on the condemnation of this particular show,
bouncing between envy and resentment. This is where the sincere love of improv
becomes a saving grace for the tone of the film, even if the jokes are more
likely to inspire mild amusement than big laughs.
“Weekend Live”
looms over all of the characters in Don’t
Think Twice, most of which are desperate for a chance to be involved, even
as they criticize the show’s lack of creativity and humor. Filmmaker and star
(and skilled improv participator) Mike Birbiglia counters this superficial
world with a humble improvisation troupe based out of New York, known as The Commune. The emphasis
in these shows is not showboating or ego-filled performances, but this quickly
changes as the loss of their venue threatens to end the group, and visitors
from “Weekend Live” upend the delicate balance.
The group is
headed up by improv veteran, Miles (Birbiglia), who is still clinging to the
fact that he once auditioned for “Weekend Live,” keeping him stuck in a state
of arrested development alongside his job teaching the art form and bad habit
of dating his younger students. Miles is an overgrown narcissist, completely
lacking the self awareness needed to see the incongruity between his situation
and his vision of himself. This becomes even more difficult when his former
student, and current member of The Commune, Jack (Keegan-Michael Key), is
suddenly cast as the member of “Weekend Live.”
If Miles is a
representation of narcissistic failure, Jack is the flip side of the same coin,
handling his sudden success with all of the tact of a sledgehammer. Though the
film does a fair job of showing the impossible situation of being given an
opportunity that cannot be shared with the people that helped you get it in the
first place, Jack’s behavior is far from admirable. Beginning with an ill-timed
announcement of his audition on “Weekend Live” during another improv member’s
grief over his father’s hospitalization, Jack has tunnel vision when it comes
to his own career. This inevitably builds to a moment of plagiarism, the
ultimate cardinal sin for comedians.
Though a portion
of the film does tellingly compare Miles and Jack, there is a far more
sympathetic character to counter Jack’s narcissism. Unlike Miles, Jack’s
girlfriend, Sam (Gillian Jacobs), has no interest in finding success on a show
like “Weekend Live.” Despite being given an audition alongside Jack, Sam makes
the intentional decision to miss it. Miles may exist within the world of
improv, but he desperately longs for the fame of the popular sketch show, even
if he simultaneously criticizes it for being unfunny. Sam, on the other hand,
is completely content with the artistic satisfaction of anonymity. And for that
reason, she very naturally becomes the film’s primary voice, the closest thing
to a protagonist in an ensemble cast of realistically flawed characters.
The Blu-ray
release of Don’t Think Twice comes with a DVD and a Digital HD copy of the
film. There are four features in the extras as well, though none are
particularly in-depth. The additional improv footage is simply a couple of
minutes long, which doesn’t speak well about the mass of footage that they were
said to have filmed of the actual cast improv show. There is an additional
featurette with the cast talking about improvisation. The two remaining extras
are featurettes, one about the cast and the film’s plot while the other also
includes comments from key crew members. Both are just over five minutes long.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6.5/10
Special Features: 6/10
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