The Sunday Mail
Film Review
Tinashe Kusema
THE Covid-19 pandemic has given some of the independent or straight-to-DVD films some time in the spotlight.
The pandemic, which has halted the production of many small- and large-scale films, forced many studios to push back releases until such a time when they can make money from movie sales. But the show must go on!
In the absence of some of the blockbuster releases, attention has shifted to smaller productions.
Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and HBO are currently witnessing a boom in business. One such film to benefit from the new trend is “Palm Springs”.
The American romantic comedy premièred at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and was digitally released on July 10.
The film, which stars “Saturday Night Live” alumni Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti and J.K Simmons, tells the story of two wedding guests — Niles (Samberg) and Sarah (Milioti).
The two get in a chance meeting that results in them getting stuck in a time loop.
They are forced to repeat the same 24 hours for eternity.
On November 9, Niles wakes up next to his girlfriend Misty on the wedding day of Tala (Camila Mendes) and Abe (Tyler Hoechlin).
At the reception, Niles delivers a seemingly impromptu speech, to the relief of Tala’s sister, the drunk and unprepared maid-of-honour Sarah.
The two bond on the incident and the whole institution of marriage, after which Niles is shot in the shoulder with an arrow by an older man named Roy (Simmons).
Wounded, he crawls toward a mysterious amber light in a nearby cave, where Sarah follows and the two get sucked into a vortex in the cave.
What follows is essentially the two reliving the same day, mixing with a lot of laugh-out-loud humour.
Typical Samberg gags and a heart-warming love story develops, where two opposites meet, find common ground and connect.
Let me start by saying that this is not the most original script, as it has been done countless times in the past (cue Groundhog Day).
However, a mixture of five-star performances by the film’s lead, a memorable cameo by Oscar winner J.K Simmons and a twist that I even did not see coming makes this one of the best use of the tired trope.
Granted, it is not Groundhog Day good, but then again what is?
I hope that this film marks the completion of the evolution of Andy Samberg, who I have been a fan of from his “Saturday Night Live” days right up to his most recent incarnation at “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”.
I even have a couple of his “Lonely Island” songs on my play-list.
I am also part of the few that genuinely enjoy his supposed flops “Popstar-Never Stop Never Stopping”, sports mockumentary “Seven Days in Hell” and to a lesser extent “That’s My Boy”.
I consider Samberg to be the reincarnation of Adam Sandler.
The two share a similar sense of humour, impeccable timing and the potential to become one of the best rom-com leading men.
Add the duo of Milioti and Simmons, and top-notch entertainment is guaranteed.
Samberg demonstrates sublime chemistry with both Milioti and Simmons, with the latter stealing the show with a few cameo appearances. The film’s biggest merit, however, is how it deviates from the normal trope in which the key to escaping the time loop is some profound realisation or character evolution.
Yes, science is the key.
Oh! By the way, Zimbabwe’s very own Arnold Chirisa is in it.
