Review of In a World... (2013) by Guido M — 25 Oct 2014

Every character in "In A World..." behaves in a childish, playful way. I don't know if first time director/writer Lake Bell knew if that is how the industry behaved or just wanted to show that kind of characters, but I now believe that much of the reason the film works, besides being terrificly original, is because of the silliness of the "world" they built.

"In A World" sinks you into the world of movie trailer voice-over people (An industry that, ironically, is dissapearing), and while most of the movie feels refreshingly exciting, the film is also a satire to the Hollywood mainstream business in general. Carol Salomon (Lake Bell) is on her prime as she is continuously landing important jobs, but waking the jealousy of other veterans of the business, such as hot shot Gustav (Ken Marino) and even his veteran father Sam Sotto (Fred Melamed). So, a battle between voice-overs insues, and we get the pleasure to see how, at the same time, Carol seems to get a hold of life.

The character of Carol reminded me a lot of Greta Gerwig's character in "Frances Ha". She is a woman who doesn't know where to go, but strives to be as successful as the people around her. When most move on, she is still locked by her naivety or her inability to responsability. So, in a way, "In A World..." is a late coming-of-age film about growing up, although none of these characters grow up.

The cast is full-on. This is Lake Bell's best work yet, which doesn't say much as she has done terrible, terrible rom-coms. And the supporting cast (From Fred Melamed to Stephanie Allynne in an outstanding comedic role, to even celebrity meta cameos from Eva Langoria) are all excellent. They are also elevated by the wonderful, inventive script that Bell wrote, that is both tongue-in-cheek funny and subtly charming.

"In A World..." is for people who enjoy movies. The scope is broad but its ambitions are never let down. It is a fast-paced comedy with bursts of romantic mellowness that makes for entertaining and amusing watchability.