Even comedians have feelings, too.
While that zombie killer is slaughtering people in the Ontario wilderness in “In a Violent Nature,” Rachel Sennott (“Bottoms,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies”) is making people laugh while dealing with her own depression in Toronto in “I Used to Be Funny.” I’m just saying that because I’ve reviewed two Canadian movies in a row, and they’re both entertaining in both genres. And plus, I like to add a little humor in the mix.
But I must be serious, because “I Used to Be Funny” is a comedy-drama in which Sennott plays a young comedian named Sam, who suffers from PTSD regarding a sexual assault, and has basically lost her magic in humor. I can’t blame her for what she went through, and how she struggles to move on. So, even though there are some laughs in various areas, it’s mostly dark and serious, considering the many topics the film displays.
She also finds out that Brooke (Olga Petsa), the girl she used to be a nanny for, has gone missing. At this very moment, Brooke throws a rock through Sam’s window, and tells her she’s living with her aunt. She hates her former nanny, but why? That’s for the film to know and us to find out.
Throughout the film, we see flashbacks about how these two met, how Sam was in a relationship with Noah (Ennis Esmer), how Brooke’s mother passed away, how her aunt Jill (Dani Kind) tries to keep things in balance, and how her father Cameron (Jason Jones) is a conservative cop.
Before whatever sets Sam and Brooke apart, we see them spending time with each other and sharing nearly the same opinions on various topics. She even tries her best to help the teenager through her grief, especially when she wants to delete photos of her mom from her phone.
Sam lives with her roommates and fellow comedians Paige (Sabrina Jalees) and Philip (Caleb Hearon), whom Brooke bullies on Twitter (which now has to be named X, but that’s another story). They try to help Sam through her PTSD, but start to grow weary of how she has been obsessed with the missing teen, who has developed the hatred toward her.
Parts of the film aren’t always in focus, which would detract my attention, but many other parts are as gripping and emotional as the poster would suggest. Look at how Sennott gazes up in sadness, and unless you have gone through her character’s pathos, don’t say: “I know how you feel.” Just say: “I want to help you through this.” She transitions through various comedy genres, and depending on the type of character she portrays, she really is vibrant. And writer/director Ally Pankiw (“Feel Good,” “The Great”) guides her in a different direction. Something that almost reminds me of Casey Affleck’s Oscar winning performance in “Manchester by the Sea.”
The teenager is a hit and miss for me, because she has some truthful moments in her earlier years, her later years makes her kind of bratty. But we get more of Sennott and less of Petsa. It’s really about how the is comedian struggles and struggles to get over her pathos, which is unimaginable. “I Used to Be Funny” is gripping almost every step of the way.
Now Playing in NY
Opens in LA June 14
Streaming on June 18