Wow - I was not expecting this movie at all. I heard of "Brigsby Bear" (2017) from a Facebook group that discusses Netflix DVDs. It was recommended as the brainchild of Kyle Mooney of Saturday Night Live. Two minutes in, I saw that it also stars Mark Hamill, it takes place in a weird universe where James has only seen one TV show ever, and it's one produced for him by the parents who abducted him. It's a very clever take on a Truman Show type situation where the lead character has been duped his whole life, and has to figure out how to deal with reality. He does this by trying to continue the story line on his own.
This movie is definitely a comedy, but the situations are very poignant as well. I've only seen Mooney on SNL through skits and his videos, and I'm amazed at the talent he has. James doesn't know anything - he's been locked up since he was abducted as a small child. His first Coke, his first experience with a dog, his weird dinner rituals instilled in him by his faux parents...Mooney is excellent at being a confused young man unsure about his present...much less his future. Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., of Spider-Man: Homecoming plays James' new friend Spencer, a supportive guy who serves as co-writer and cameraman for the new Brigsby movie.
Ryan Simpkins and Alexa Demie are James' real sister and her friend, who are a little scared of him, yet they go along on his quest to revive the Brigsby show in movie form. The enthusiasm for Brigsby that James has is infectious, not only to his fellow characters, but to us as well. I found that I wished Brigsby was a real show. It sounds, as James says many times, "dope as sh*t." The ending is just as sweet and funny as the rest of the movie.
I won't give away any plot points, because many of the scenes are straight out of any given thriller or 80s teenage romances, but they always have a twist that makes you love "Brigsby" more. I'm not the only one who loves this movie - the USA National Board of Review voted it one of the best Independent films of 2017, and was a nominee for the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. I cannot wait to see what Mooney does next.
#DVDNation #ad #KyleMooney
This movie is definitely a comedy, but the situations are very poignant as well. I've only seen Mooney on SNL through skits and his videos, and I'm amazed at the talent he has. James doesn't know anything - he's been locked up since he was abducted as a small child. His first Coke, his first experience with a dog, his weird dinner rituals instilled in him by his faux parents...Mooney is excellent at being a confused young man unsure about his present...much less his future. Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., of Spider-Man: Homecoming plays James' new friend Spencer, a supportive guy who serves as co-writer and cameraman for the new Brigsby movie.
Ryan Simpkins and Alexa Demie are James' real sister and her friend, who are a little scared of him, yet they go along on his quest to revive the Brigsby show in movie form. The enthusiasm for Brigsby that James has is infectious, not only to his fellow characters, but to us as well. I found that I wished Brigsby was a real show. It sounds, as James says many times, "dope as sh*t." The ending is just as sweet and funny as the rest of the movie.
I won't give away any plot points, because many of the scenes are straight out of any given thriller or 80s teenage romances, but they always have a twist that makes you love "Brigsby" more. I'm not the only one who loves this movie - the USA National Board of Review voted it one of the best Independent films of 2017, and was a nominee for the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. I cannot wait to see what Mooney does next.
#DVDNation #ad #KyleMooney
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