Review of In a World... (2013) by Thomas D — 20 Mar 2018

I've been on a kick of watching these smaller, less conventional, and heartfelt romantic-comedy-drama films. 'In a World...' provides the endlessly likable Lake Bell a platform to flex her comedic talent with a bit of unique drama mixed in. Making a film about the trailer voice over guys? Not only is that a fascinating story to tell, but it's one that hasn't really been touched upon before, and is mostly a forgotten element of filmmaking.

I'm now in my mid 20's and only sort of remember a time when every trailer used a deep voice over guy to provide narration and intrigue for each movie - no matter the genre - coming soon to theaters. When I really started to get into watching movies and scoping the webs for trailers, the voiceover was all but removed from the process. It's crazy to think that these extremely talented humans were all of a sudden jobless. Although this film doesn't take an overly serious approach, it's hard not to feel the weight of the situation when some of these people realize their job is about to change.

Lake Bell plays the daughter of one of the most famous voiceover figuresin the business and she somehow-someway stumbles her way into the business herself. The best part about it is that Bell actually steps up to the plate and does well when the task is hers to provide epic narration. I'm not saying I want this element to ever return to trailers, but I'm never opposed to hearing Bell's witty commentary on any particular subject. I was thinking about this as I watched, but Bell is very much like Greta Gerwig in that she has a knack for displaying goofy and heartfelt into a well-rounded character effortlessly. Seriously, give me them two in any genre of film and I'm there opening night.

As a whole, 'In a World' does feel a little short and not as clean cut as I would have liked it to be. I was honestly left feeling like I could have used another 15-20 minutes of screen time for some of the smaller arcs to hit home the way I hoped. However, it's a re-watchable film about a fascinating subject matter with a charismatic lead. That was enough for me.

8.4/10.