#joshgreenbaum

Here I am, just trying to do my due diligence in terms of covering the 2021 releases, and the inevitable occurred... I remember the promotional campaign for Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and while being a fan of both Kristen Wiig and absurdist comedies, I did not feel the magnetic attraction to this film that one would have assumed would be present.  As people’s year end lists started to roll out, I begin to notice that more than a few outlets had this listed as one of the better films of the year, so I put aside my doubts and assumptions and figured I’d give it a view... and, after all that... I’m still not sure what to think...

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first : this film is not only overly silly, but it is built upon a Jenga-like stack of the most random character elements that force the viewer to do possibly more suspension of disbelief than a comedy of this level requires.  Granted, I know we’re not dealing with Citizen Kane here, and with this being a property connected to the Saturday Night Live and Adam McKay camps, to take it seriously would be a fool’s errand, but there are easily two different absurdist comedies of drastically varying levels attempting to operate simultaneously for Barb and Star.  At the heart of things is a touching film about two friends (the titular Barb and Star) who are extremely codependent to one another, but in the process of them trying to collectively step outside of their shared comfort zone, the two find their own sense of personal liberation via individual discovery-laden journeys.  With this premise being the heart, that would make the soul of the film a wholly ridiculous espionage romp, complete with two supervillains, a feet on the ground lackey who doubles as a romantic interest, and a potential threat that could wipe a city off the map, which in this case is presented as deadly biologically-altered mosquitos. 

All that being said, as disjointed and bonkers as this film is, there are definitely aspects that work at times.  Like some sort of non-existent SNL skit given license to expand on a simple premise (think It’s Pat, The Ladies Man, Coneheads, the Wayne’s World films or even MacGruber), the character work of Kristen Wiig (Star) and Annie Mumolo (Barb) becomes the foundation for a twisting and turning narrative full of possibilities and low on limits, and thankfully, the pair are able to take their grating Midwestern accents and mine them for all of the gold available.  Populating the world full of varying degrees of idiots is also a positive, as the intersectionality of communication that occurs between the different parties creates enough kinetic comedy to keep viewers on the hook.  While the comedy starts off innocent enough, by the second act we see some bold jabs at edgy humor, up to and including the extremely frank sexual talk throughout the film, the hidden curse words cobbled together by clever cutting, and quite frankly, the deep embracing of blue humor that comes on like a tidal wave as the film progresses.  In terms of technical merits, you can definitely see that there was money put behind this film, and while there are moments of high production value on all levels, the spirit of kitsch is embraced at any and all points possible.

Kristen Wiig gets her Tilda Swinton on, which is definitely one of the gold stars of the film (no pun intended)... as Star, Wiig falls right into the harmonic rhythm with Annie Mumolo that emulates a legion of classic comedy duos, while her performance as Sharon Fisherman is unique enough that even I didn’t recognize her for a large portion of the film due to the heavy makeup applied.  Annie Mumolo is not an actress I am very familiar with, so at the risk of disrespecting her accolades, she definitely holds her own in her shared moments with Wiig, and when alone, she manages to shine in her comedic time and infectious excitement.  Jamie Dornan provides a touch of Adam Scott energy in shades, but mostly commits himself to a hilariously pathetic and comedically rich devotion to Wiig’s Sharon Fisherman character, mining it for all that it is worth during that particular aspect’s arc.  Reyn Doi embraces being the cherry on top of the absurdist sundae, giving off a Nevel Papperman level child evil genius performance while still managing to exude levels of innocence that only a child can, particularly within the character’s physicality.  Damon Wayans Jr. makes the most of his moments, playing in and around the jokes with great zeal, but in all honesty, his character comes off as a bit of a satellite, or as the one ingredient too much in an already busy recipe.  Other standout supporting appearances include Kwame Patterson, Wendi McClendon-Covey, Vanessa Bayer, the always understated but hilarious Phyllis Smith, musical-comedy genius Richard Cheese, a super random Andy Garcia moment, a Reba McEntire cameo and a killer vocal performance from Josh Robert Thompson.

“In The Corner Dunce” by Aleka’s Attic

Such an AWESOME song & video! Despite how sad I get when I think about River Phoenix and how I wish he was still with us all today - I find solace in knowing that he is with God in Heaven (which is where all Angels deserve to be). If only he were alive today - I can only speculate & fantasize, but I bet he would have been a really good father & husband to his own family. That man went through a lot (and experienced a lot of severe struggle which caused a great deal of trauma apparently), and he still wanted to put good into the world and heal this place (despite his personal demons). I really wish I could have met him because I admire his work and his efforts a great deal. This song is merely a snapshot of the ripple effect of the pebble he threw in the pond (if that makes sense).

I know his spirit still lives on despite his physical absence. God bless him.