I'll admit, this movie's opening sequence was a bit too quirky for me (if you've seen Pen15 with Maya Erskine, it basically had that vibe and I will admit, an entire movie of that was not what I wanted). I felt justified in feeling this way after the first few minutes as well, as we see Michael Cera's Glenn struggle with anxiety and his wife Rosie (Kristen Stewart - who looks stunning this movie; that's all I can say) express anguish about taking care of his neurosis whilst also being pregnant.
And then, I think the film settles down, finds its groove and comes together. It's not quirky for the sake of it, there's a purpose. It's a film that really nails Milennial angst about growing up and "adulting", feel unprepared and not knowing how to express that in a world that is constantly rolling its eyes as you. It's also a movie about male friendship and vulnerability and a surprisingly nuanced one at that.
It's also just a lot of fun. Michael Angarano's Rickey is great and really captures the raw, childlike magnetism that you could see some people either really enjoying or being very annoyed by. He and Michael Cera have fantastic chemistry and honestly, this might be the single best Cera performance I've seen.
There's a point in this movie and I don't know if its the makeup or what, but you can really see him mentally breaking down at certain points and its just all over his face. Cera honestly puts forth a powerhouse performance that touches upon his very particular and peculiar strengths, but also expands the scope of his performance. The final scene with Maya Erskine's Tallie (who, as expected delivers a really strong comedic and tragic performance), Rickey, and Glenn is just cringe comic gold.
On top of all of that, Sacramento is a love letter to a city that's often overlooked and derided. It's not the sort of place that's "life changing trip" material, but maybe that's the point. Like the film that bears its name, Sacramento is way better than you'd think and is worth diving into.
