Weekend Live is the gold standard of improv comedy, especially for the members of the Commune. Led by Miles (Birbiglia), this struggling comedy group does a show called Improv for America at a small local venue in the city. While they're asking loyal patrons whether they've had a particularly hard day, every day is a hard day for this ensemble as they hope someone from
Weekend Live drops by to scout talent. Working menial jobs by day and trying to make their dreams a reality by night, they're not exactly walking an easy path. With this in mind, there's no one with bigger ambitions than Jack (Keegan-Michael Key), and he plays to win on stage at his friends' expense. It's his girlfriend Samantha (Gillian Jacobs) who has the natural gift of gab, however. When those
Weekend Live scouts do eventually drop by to see the Commune in action, both Jack and Samantha catch their attention, setting the stage for plenty of conflict within the close-knit group.
Unabashedly tackling the world of shows like
Saturday Night Live and
Second City,
Don't Think Twice sheds some interesting light on the journey to greatness in the world of improv. His first feature film in the director's chair since his 2012 movie
Sleepwalk With Me, Birbiglia puts a spotlight on the hardships that struggling comedians face. Their plight is very much akin to that of artists on Broadway, many of whom never make their career goals a reality. Despite the melancholic premise, he continues to deliver the quirky, offbeat dramedy he delivered in
Sleepwalk With Me. Solidly written and well directed,
Don't Think Twice delivers the comedic goods and is a nice return to form for Birbiglia.
Birbiglia gathers a heavy-hitting ensemble of comedians to showcase the Commune in
Don't Think Twice. Of course, he headlines it as Jack, the faithful leader of the group. A supportive figure with no hope of making it big on his own, Birbiglia's comedy is marked with a tinge of envy for his friends and students who are finding success. For his part as Jack, Keegan-Michael Key is charismatic, cocky, and conflicted. Simply put, Key is bringing the comedic goods like only he can. Finally, we have Gillian Jacobs as Samantha. She's self-loathing and has very little ambition. She's content with mediocrity, and frankly that's where Jacobs as a comedian thrives. This is Jacobs inhabiting her typical character and excelling.
Don't Think Twice is a charming dramedy full of humor and heart. Wholly entertaining, Mike Birbiglia's latest feature gets a strong 0.06% rating. Have a few rounds of beer with this one.
