My review of Don’t Think Twice is up at Rogerebert.com.
I love Mike Birbiglia. I’ve seen his standup act and adore him. I love Sleepwalk With Me. His latest, Don’t Think Twice, is amazing. Making a film like this – and making it good – is NOT easy. Creating a multi-million-dollar blockbuster filled with CGI is a far easier project than making something like Don’t Think Twice. I enjoyed every second of it.
(This is a humorous side note but this guy makes a cameo appearance. Not in the film, but in my review. Listen, it had to be brought up. I know that whole environment so well. If he runs across that review – as I am sure he will since it’s a movie about his whole world – a movie that opens with a couple of quotes and anecdotes about his own personal mentor, the improv guru Del Close – he will see his name and go, “What the hell. Worlds collide.” Whoda thunk that those two crazy kids crawling through windows in the dead of night and soldiering through dangerously high fevers to see each other, would ever make it to where they are now? The movie brought up so many memories. It understands that world so so well.)
Don’t Think Twice is one of my favorite movies of the year.
Ha ha, Window Guy! I’m intrigued, I hope I’ll get to see that movie.
The fact that I actually had occasion to use his name in a film review cracks me up and will crack him up too because it’s all so weird. (So and so, who used to break into my house on a nightly basis, and I was FINE with it, studied with Del Close …) You know, how do you weave that in there.
Still: WONDERFUL film – and great on the whole actor’s life and acting scene – where you can find the greatest success in a show where there are 25 people in the audience.
There were shows that those guys did back in Chicago (the one I mentioned in the review) that my friends and I still quote to this day.
I posted this on FB and my friend Ann commented immediately saying, “What in carnation?”
Which is a line from one of those improv shows TWENTY years ago. I think it was Neil Flynn who said that line. He was playing a small-town judge I believe, or Mayor, and he said, “What in carnation??” at one point, clearly meaning to say “tarnation” – and it became this whole bit, and Ann and I still quote it (obviously).
That’s the amazing thing about really good improv. Only the moment matters. But man, those shows stick in the brain.
I love the joyfulness of your review! Can’t wait to see the movie. I have a young friend — 13-years-old — who loves improv and has been studying at Berkeley Rep for the past 18 months. I think I may try to share the non-R-rated parts with him. ;)
Hey, is this a typo (impossible/possible)?
//”Yes, and … ” makes sure that a scene continues, creating the environment of acceptance that makes all good improv impossible.//
Deborah – yes, it is a horrible typo – and completely makes it the opposite meaning – bah!! It happens – I sent the editor a note about it yesterday and he’ll get to it – he’s a busy man.
Typos happen but that one bums me OUT – HOWEVER: you clearly felt my real meaning, and I thank you for that!!
It is such a wonderful movie – I’ll be very interested to hear what my improv friends think of it. From where I stand, it SO works.
It’s never been “The Harold.” As Dell told my castmates at Second City when he introduced us to the form, it’s just “Harold.” That was Dell.
Oh. Okay! Loved the movie, it brought back so many hilarious and poignant memories!
Loved it too. A must see. Especially for anyone into improvisation as an art form. Always the battle between Del and SC owner at the time, Bernie Sahlins. To Bernie improvising was a means to create material. Del believed it was an art form onto itself.