Tom Dustin: Portrait of a Comedian

A thinly veiled vanity project by yet another comedian looking to cash in on this comedy bubble that's nearly popped. In the advent of comedy podcasts, despite their repetitive nature, you see all kinds of liquor brands, merch, and projects like these coming out. Since Joe doesn't have the mainstream appeal that many of his friends have, his forays into film making while steadfast, are truly bland and uninspiring efforts. He's been propped up by Louis CK, for better or worse, but lacks the same vision. This feels like an attempt to extract money from podcast fans and prop Joe up as a famous, successful comedian, more than it seeks to tell Tom's story.

I'm a TuesGay and mostly watch documentary films so I was really excited to support this. While the doc isn't bad it feels undercooked due to the sporadic editing and inclusion of so much comedy sets (most of which adds nothing to the story and some is shoehorned in by the editor himself). While watching it it was painfully obvious that they filmed this in 3 days and didn't have a lot of preparation for the filming. Additionally, it's not just a joke camera operator Matt Salacuse misses focus a lot; there was a lot of long shots of out of focus and shaking footage which was difficult to watch at times. I'm happy this was made and I was happy to support, but couldn't recommend it to most people. It makes sense that die hard comedy fans would like this more for the BTS look at the scene.

Joe List (the director) is one of my favorite comedians and this movie is about his good friend, Tom Dustin, who was an up-and-coming comedian from Boston at the same time Joe List was starting out. At an inflection point of both of their careers, Joe and Tom took different paths. This movie explores how Tom's life turned out. It is inadvertently contrasted against Joe's life as well.

And that's all I want to say about the story and recommend you all go see it! If you like comedy at all, this is a great watch as it's a real "inside baseball" look at the industry. It's also super, super funny throughout - and at times incredibly difficult to watch given the subject material. I found myself laughing often and sometimes on the verge of tears.

I don't think this was intentional, but by the end of the movie, one thought that I had over and over was, what about Tom Dustin did we actually learn? Is the movie a portrait of the man himself or a portrait of the man he is? (I don't want to include spoilers but this should make sense if you've seen the movie.) In that regard, it was incredibly thought provoking to mull over the idea of self and truth.

I gave the movie 10 stars because this was an indie film created/produced/financed by Joe List and it takes some stones to do so. I want him to make back all of his money and then some for being a true creative and not just a comedian.

But some criticisms of the film are: 1. It is 10 minutes too long (but also super funny throughout, so it's not the end of the world).

2. it is ostensibly a documentary about Tom, but Joe, the director, is in movie throughout. He was Tom's best friend for years, which sometimes makes him seem "to close" to the material. This critique isn't necessarily a deal breaker either as I enjoyed the scenes with Joe, it was a function of a barebones budget, and I don't think it could be helped. But I want Joe Joe to grow as a filmmaker, so if you're reading Joe (probably not), you'll know what I mean!

Anyway, go see it and listen to his podcast Tuesdays with Stories.

It's one of those rare films that really sticks with you - not just because of the laughs, but because of the honesty behind them. Tom Dustin: Portrait of a Comedian isn't just a story about stand-up; it's a story about friendship, disappointment, resilience, and what it means to choose your own path - even if it's not the glamorous one.

I found myself laughing out loud one minute and getting hit with something unexpectedly emotional the next. It doesn't force anything or try to make a hero out of anyone. It just presents a life - raw, flawed, and deeply human - and somehow, that hits harder than most polished, Hollywood-style documentaries ever could.

If you're someone who loves comedy with layers - the kind that makes you feel something real underneath the punchlines - this is a must-watch. It'll make you laugh, maybe cry a little, and you'll find yourself thinking about it days or even weeks later. Honestly, I can't recommend it enough. This film deserves way more attention.