In a world where breaking through the glass ceiling of a male dominated industry is tough enough, one woman will ensure her survival against all odds.
Dramatic enough for you good readers? Good, that's what I was aiming for. The movie follows Carol Solomon (Lake Bell) as she tries to follow in her father's footsteps in the world of a movie trailer voice over. Along the way she finds out who her family and friends really are.
For a first timer, Lake Bell really does a great job. The writing is very sharp and poignant. I feel that sometimes people try to be overly witty or dry when it comes to the comedic scenes and overly dramatic when it comes to the more serious scenes, and that juxtaposition creates more awkwardness than is needed or even wanted. Working with such skilled improv comedians you might think that she just has a very skeleton script and lets everyone just go with how they feel, but Lake really keeps everyone to the script and really makes sure that the story is kept true to her vision. The cast is full of improv comedians, which in some movies can lead to a "train off the rails" kind of movie, but Lake Bell makes sure that they did keep to the script, allowing for the occasional improved line.
The acting is spot-on, and the entire movie is cast with some of the funniest people who give the most heartwarming of performances. The best performance, out of many great ones, is by Rob Cordry whose character (Moe) is married to Carol's sister, Dani, played by Michaela Watkins. He is so earnest that you can't help but root for his side story to have a happy ending. Their marriage adds a great family dynamic and adds another layer not only to Carol and Dani but to their father, Sam. The romantic tete-a-tete between Lake Bell and Demetri Martin is witty, and their chemistry is real and palpable. Nick Offerman steals every scene that he is in, which isn't that shocking. Ken Marino and Fred Melamed play just the worst kind of people, and they do it so well. Sam is portrayed by Fred Melamed, and it's not until the very end of the movie that you actually feel something positive toward him. It's not much, but it is just a little bit of positivity. Ken Marino plays the up-and-comer Gustav.
The directing is, like the writing, very sharp. Bell knows how to get the best performances out of her actors and out of herself. You can tell that she used single camera work and keeps everything very tight on the faces. There might have been one or two scenes that are on a dolly, but everything else is very up close and personal, which really brings you into that world.
In the end, In A World is a great indie film that I would highly recommend you see to escape the sun. It's August and all the good blockbuster films are done, and now it's time for the smaller films to have their due and time in the sun. Go and see In A World.
