No. 66 (2023) THEATRE CAMP August 28th.

 

Film No. 66  (2023)  August 26th.  6:30 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 5, Leederville.

 

"You guys are so talented, so unbelievable this will break you. This will fully destroy you." (Rebecca-Diane preps her new students prior to auditions for the end of camp Production!).

WINNER: (Nick Lieberman) U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize; Ensemble. Sundance Film Festival.

If you are feeling a little low, and movies are a proven method for improving your emotions,  THEATER CAMP will tickle your funny bone from the opening scenes. That's a testament for any film blatantly promoting itself as a laugh out loud comedy. Audiences may be cynical about such claims but, THEATER CAMP does live up to its claim, even if it's a little "uneven".

Christopher Guest mastered the art of the Mockumentary. He is the father of this feature comedy genre. THIS IS SPINAL TAP is spoken of in legendary terms, so much so, critics talk of attending the preview screenings and being convinced they were watching a documentary for at least the first 10 minutes. THEATER CAMP is more aligned with BEST IN SHOW when it comes to Guest comparisons.

Molly Gordon (THE BEAR) and Ben Platt take the lead here as Rebecca-Diane and Amos a duo of dedicated, young, wanna-be performers who cling onto a drama camp they attended as youngsters and can't cleanse their attachment to it from their psyche. They direct the final night production which punctuates all that has gone before. THEATER CAMP documents all that goes before, so the performance ties up the "unfinished business" in a clunky but fun-filled manner.

The list of challenges these likeable show-offs have to overcome in the lead up to the finale include the untimely illness (opening scene) of camp founder Joan (Amy Sedaris), the incompetence with which Joan's son, Troy (Jimmy Tatro) fills her shoes, the pressure of a take-over bid from a nearby drama academy and finally an emotional split between the co-directors. But you guessed it, as disjointed as it is at times, THEATER CAMP ends happily. It's a fun watch.  9GUMS.