Le beau rôle

I enjoyed this film. I almost didn't watch it after reading the reviews but was able to see a few that really explained the genre. I'm glad I gave it a chance. It is definitely a dark comedy/drama with a bit if a twisted thriller in there too. Barrymore was excellent as usual and her creepy stand-in played her part well. This is an odd little film and it is worth watching for those who want to see something interesting with good production.

Drew Barrymore plays Candy Black. She started as a carpenter, was called in to work on a movie, and when the actress who was supposed to take a comedy fall didn't show up, Miss Barrymore stepped in, and rose to be the female comedy star of Hollywood, with the stereotypical problems: temperament, substance abuse. When one of her fellow actresses is injured on set, it's all about Miss Barrymore, and she walks off the set. five years later she's living like a recluse in a huge house with a front gate like Paramount, in trouble with the IRS, and under judicial order to go to rehab. Which she is too depressed to do.

Drew Barrymore also plays Paula, who was Candy Black's stand-in, and pretty much a dead ringer. So Miss Black tracks down Paula, has her go to rehab in her place. Now the public is anxious to rehabilitate Candy Black, the studios see profit, but she is not interested. She wants to stay at home and make furniture. So Paul takes her place....and her life.

Although listed as a comedy, it is not one. It is a serious movie with themes about the problems of publicity, and the issues of identity. Miss Barrymore, whose profile is looking a lot like her famous grandfather's, is up to the dual roles. If the issues of the movie are not hers, in her first movie in five years, she is certainly convincing. Unfortunately, the script does not offer much that is original in execution.

Miss Barrymore has a stand-in in this movie, Brooke Carrell. She also has two stunt doubles, Luci Romberg and Heidi Pascoe as the stunt double for "Paula". Why they needed 23 producers (including Miss Barrymore) is a mystery to me.

Up until the first half of the film, I kept waiting for any comedy scene that might come up. But after the first half I realized that this is definitely not a comedy. Since Drew Barrymore has been known for doing many romantic comedies, I thought this one will be one of them. Even though this idea of switching places have been done before many times, the idea of the film about a movie star with anger management issue, as she steps out of the spotlight and becomes a recluse, is interesting in a way. It's very poorly executed. Mainly it's because it's very hard to sympathize with either characters, Candy black is very mean and foulmouthed, and her stand-in who seemed like a nice person at first, turned out to be an opportunist, who wants to steal her identity and become a movie star herself. I guess the only normal character was Michael Zegen, except the weird story he tells about the Nazi incident !!!! Also in what world is the stand-in supposed to be an exact copy of Candy Black, with her obvious change in her nose, and why does she speaks in this weird tone of voice?? Drew Barrymore is a lovely actress, but this film is very bad on some many levels. What a waste of talent for great supporting actors like T.J. Miller, Ellie Kemper and Holland Taylor. Now that we know it's not a comedy, I wish i could say it's a drama, or a thriller, but it's also not that.

Ok, I understand the bad reviews because the movie was presented as a comedy, but it's not a comedy at all. It's more of a drama / thriller movie and within those genres it works very well. Drew Barrymore did an excellent job, she played two roles, this depressed, overwhelmed woman with severe problems and on the other hand there is this other character, who at first seems to be a happy girl with problems but innocent, although little by little she is showing her true essence. So if you are going to see this movie, I recommend you not to see it as a comedy, because you will not find jokes, funny scenes, etc. See this movie for what it is, a drama with touches of thriller. And I repeat, Drew Barrymore really did an excellent job here!

It had it's moments and could have been really good.... but ultimately it was a bit naff.