Review of People, Places, Things (2015) by Matthew C — 01 Jan 2016

If not for affable goofball, Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords fame) in the lead role, this film would be just another in a long line of identical, indie dramedies.

It's great seeing the comic actor's dweeby, pseudo-hipster self branching out into dramatic areas the audience hasn't really seen him explore yet. He's a father of two, a professor, a mentor of sorts, one half of a 'grown-up' love story featuring two wounded people, etc. These aspects of the story prove interesting vehicles for the actor to showcase his signature awkwardness. Unfortunately, said awkwardness is decidedly muted and Clement doesn't get the chance to really shine like he could. Much of the humor suffers as a result -- forgoing the potential for hilarity in favor of more understated vibes. Understated comedy. Hey, there's an indie comedy for ya!

Ultimately, there's not much new in the way of story or plot -- though the lead character's interracial romance is often cute and intriguing -- and the laughs are more like mild chuckles at best. But, if you're a fan of Clement, you'll enjoy seeing him in some new, slightly more dramatic territory.