Review of Other People (2016) by Glenn G — 07 Sep 2016

GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY - My Review of OTHER PEOPLE (4 Stars).

A pet peeve of mine is when a film opens with our main characters crying. We haven't invested enough in them to care, so it always seems to read as premature. Well, you can throw that out the window, because writer/director Chris Kelly, an SNL writer making his feature debut with the wonderful, emotionally powerful OTHER PEOPLE, has proven me wrong right there in his opening scene. Trust me, this won't spoil anything to tell you that a grieving family sobs over the body of their beloved Joanne (Molly Shannon), who just passed away from cancer. The moment is handled with such delicacy, that it's impossible to not feel the heartbreak.

And then, perhaps as an homage to James L. Brooks, Kelly undercuts the moment by way of an ill-timed voicemail guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. It's clever and a tad sitcom-esque, but it sets the stage for the most vividly personal disease movie since TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, which won the Best Picture Oscar way back in 1983. In fact, its episodic nature, connected performances, and astute blend of humor and despair make the comparisons quite apt.

Clearly an autobiographical film, Kelly introduces us to our protagonist, David (Jesse Plemons of FARGO, BREAKING BAD and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS - Jesus! This guy is great in great TV shows, isn't he?!!). David is an out-of-work SNL writer who returns to Sacramento to tend to his dying mother. After its opening scene, the film backpedals and takes us through a year's worth of David's caregiving. Gay and recently separated from his boyfriend (a wonderful Zach Woods), David carries his own emotional baggage despite having a singular relationship with his mother. Their interactions early on feel so smart and lived-in, with Plemons mastering his stunted yet bright character while Shannon goes full throttle in showing us a woman with no f*cks left to give.

Plemons isn't often given the opportunity to play this level of intelligence, and it's a refreshing change of pace for an actor who has built his young career with characters who tend toward the doltish. Here, he dares to be prickly and somewhat impenetrable, which serves as a great counterpoint to Shannon's force of nature portrayal. Clearly their work is Oscar caliber, and while Shannon nails every grueling moment of her illness, Plemons' work may unfairly get overlooked. One performance would not work without the other, and both actors deserve the highest praise. One scene in particular brought me to tears as Shannon, barely able to speak, puts on a brave face for her former colleagues. This is the movie that will change how you perceive this blazingly spectacular actress.

In addition to the two great leads, this cast delivers great moments in scene after scene. A child actor named J.J. Total takes over the movie at its midpoint for an astonishing living room drag performance, a scene that will most likely join the pantheon of great young actor moments. Many have criticized this moment as being superfluous, but I found it to be an essential moment in David's own evolution as a character who needed to take more risks. Also great is John Early as Gabe, one of David's gay hometown friends. It could so easily have been a stock supporting role, the kind that exist to merely prop up our lead characters, but Early makes him pop. Bradley Whitford does a great job as David's homophobic father, a difficult role that may stretch credibility at times, but one in which Whitford invests fully nonetheless.

None of this would be as indelible as it is without Kelly's carefully constructed script. There are so many setups and payoffs that worked deliciously, giving us that beautiful "aha" I love so much in movies of this caliber. The repetitive use of this device could have grown old, and I must confess I saw the final image coming from a mile away, but for a film about life and death, it felt comforting to know I could rely on these signposts. OTHER PEOPLE is the type of film we rarely get to see anymore. It rarely settles for easy sentiments, preferring instead to show us the truly difficult moments and choices made. It's easily one of my favorite movies of the year.