Lake Bell’s film In A World (set in the movie trailer voiceover industry) is a film with the kind of razor sharp wit, touching drama and perfectly-crafted filmmaking that I always expect to find in Woody Allen films, but somehow never do. I’m always surprised in Woody Allen films by the way in which his jokes, particularly his one-liners, hit you over the head. They always sound to me like he thought of them independently, and then crafted a scene around how to get as many in as possible.
I actually really admire Woody Allen as a filmmaker. His films look amazing. And he’s fantastically prolific, and always original. And don’t ask me about the child-molesting criticisms because I don’t actually care enough about him to be able to write about that with any authority.
But seriously, In A World is about three times better than the best Woody Allen film I’ve ever seen.
And the jokes don’t hit you over the head. In fact, the film has usually moved on to the next laugh before you really realise why you’re laughing at the first thing.
Trust me: just click on the clip above and watch it — it’s only two and a half minutes long. And okay, I have a kind of specific sense of humour: if it annoys you, you won’t like this film. But if you like it, that’s how good the film is, all the way through.
Current Favourite Scene: