Landline

"Landline" (2017 release; 93 min.) brings the story of the Jacobs family. As the movie opens, we are reminded that it is "Labor Day, 1995". The family (husband Alan, wife Pat, grown-up daughter Dana and her fiancé Ben, and HS senior Ali) are driving back to New York City from their country estate. Everyone settles back in: Dana works are an indie newspaper, and Ali is supposed to start her last year of high school but has drugs on her mind more than books. It's not long that Ali finds out that dad (Alan) may be having an affair, much to the horror of Ali and Dana. Meanwhile, Dana bumps into an ex-boyfriend at a party she is attending with Ben. At this point we're not even 15 min. into the movie. What will become of all these characters? To tell you more of the plot would ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this movie marks the reunion of writer-director Gillian Robespierre and producer-actress Jenny Slate, who previously collaborated on "Obvious Child" (Slate's break-out role). Here they bring another movie that is billed as a comedy, but in reality is just as much a relationships drama. And there is plenty of drama (biting my lip--mustn't spoil!). Of course there are plenty of lighter moments too. One can't help but smile when we see Dana check her voice mail by calling from a public phone, and many other such 90s-specific things. Jenny Slater once again shines in this movie, and it is her character that seems most authentic--in contrast to her sister Ali, who is supposed to be a HS senior, but comes across much older. John Turturro (as Alan) and Jay DuPlass (as Ben) are in fine form as well. Bottom line, this movie kept my attention from start to finish, and I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to these characters when the end titles started rolling, the surest sign that I enjoyed this movie quite a bit.

"Landline" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to positive buzz. The movie finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Saturday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (about 10 people). Hopefully this movie will benefit from positive word-of-mouth as well as wider exposure on VOD, and eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Landline" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This film tells the story of two sisters who discover that their father is having an affair. They deal with it in different ways.

The story also tells the love story of every major character in the film. It tells how every person relates to the world around them, and how they connect with their significant others. It is very real life like, and hence it can feel draggy and boring at times. All the couples involved have different outcomes, and it gets interesting and reflective at the end.

"Whatever happened do Jenny Slate?" (It would be understandable to ask that question – before 2016-2017.) "Isn't she the girl who accidentally dropped the f-bomb in her first appearance on Saturday Night Live and then got fired at the end of the season?" (Yes and yes.) "Has she even done anything since?" (Yes!) Slate was a stand-up comedian when she started appearing on TV shows in 2005. After her productive but ill-fated season on SNL (2009-2010), she really… came out of her shell. Slate and film director and editor Dean Fleischer- Camp (to whom she was married from 2012 to 2016) created the "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" books and short films, with Slate voicing the title character. She then appeared in several TV shows (some at the same time), including "House of Lies", "Parks and Recreation", "Kroll Show" and "Married". She then voiced more animated characters in "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" (2011) and "The Lorax" (2012). Slate started really showing her talent as a feature film actress in 2014's "Obvious Child" and then… 2016-2017 happened. In 2016-17, she voiced major characters in the high-profile animated features "Zootopia", "The Secret Life of Pets" and "The LEGO Batman Movie". Later in 2017, she continued staking her claim to a prestigious film career in movies like "Gifted" and, the subject of this review, the comedy-drama "Landline" (R, 1:37).

Slate plays Dana Jacobs, a young NYC woman who finds herself at a crossroads. She's newly engaged to a kind, but milquetoast guy named Ben (Jay Duplass), but she reconnects with Nate (Finn Wittrock), an old flame from college, and she feels like she needs some time to figure out what she really wants. She leaves the apartment that she shares with Ben and moves back home, using the excuse that her younger sister, Ali (Abby Quinn), needs her. Ali is trying hard to be a hip chick and deciding where she's going to go to college, but what concerns her the most at the moment is her parents. She has come across some indication that her playwright father (John Turturro) is cheating on her mother (Edie Falco). As the two sisters try to get to the bottom of what their father is up to, they begin bonding as never before and Ali is able to help her older sister decide how to move forward in her life. Since this story takes place in 1995, a lot of the conversations take place over telephones mounted on walls, hence the film's title.

"Landline" is a heartfelt and humorous examination of life choices within the context of one family. (It is, however not to be confused with another 2017 movie with the same title and starring Matthew Aaron, Khalid Abour and Tom Arnold.) The later (and more widely distributed) "Landline" is well-written by Elizabeth Holm and well- directed by Gillian Robespierre (both of whom also did the same jobs and collaborated with Slate on "Obvious Child"). They give us a story that is well-paced, relatable, engaging and funny at just the right moments. The acting is excellent, especially by Slate who has maintained her excellent comic timing while emerging as a fine actress. Although the plot seems slight at times, it's strong on insight into issues of romance and family relations and makes for quality entertainment. "B+"

In 2017's mediocre New York family drama "Landline" Jenny Slate cheats on decent fiancée Jay Duplass (with Finn Wittrock) while her younger sister Abby Quinn (best performance here) continues rebelling against their parents: uptight careerist Edie Falco; & laid-back academic John Turturro (who may or may not be cheating himself). Co-writer (with Elisabeth Holm) / director Gillian Robespierre does an ok (though not best in class) job evoking the 1995 setting and balancing the story lines & tones (though it coulda been snappier with more humour woven into the drama). It's watchable enough fare (especially for the ladies) but sure won't pull up any trees.

Overall I give it two thumbs up. It was comical and witty.