Entertainment (2015)

Too much of everything

Excellent but underrated film

Dreadfully Boring

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

There is no end to the main characters misery in "Entertainment". It is uncertain to me whether the writers and filmmakers are aiming for a portrait of a beaten dog worth some compassion or a predator feeding on himself and everyone around him, as every well meaning word and action in his direction is ironically swallowed whole followed by a quenched belch. I'm having a hard time finding any love for him at all but am forced to see the story through. In the spirit of Brecht, this comedian have the choice to quit, face reality and stop being the hero that saves the day. But of course, it wouldn't be brechtian for him to do so. That choice is up to me and you. How low can you go and keep on not laughing? And when that laugh comes, is it the cleansing sound of a soul, or the croaking of crows on a corpse? This is tricky: the rating depends upon how aware the producers of "Entertainment" are of it's message. I don't know them personally so I can't be the judge of that, but I hope they give a F*** about the moral of the choice. Otherwise, this movie is just one more self loathing, self pitying, sexist and childishly narcissistic wet nightmare from a masochistic comedian of the male sex, caught in his own cynical material; artsy in the bad sense. But even so, this movie is a perfect kick-off for an interesting discussion.

The title, in all its sarcasm in regard to the film's actual content, is a complete contradiction of what we may derive from Rick Alverson's drama. Entertainment is a very peculiar piece of cinema, but one that wishes to pretend to be something it's not.The nameless comedian (Gregg Turkington) travels around slums and dive bars in an American desert to put on a series of unedifying performances. As he dwells into the state of depression, he seeks refuge in calling his daughter and leaving her voice mails.Actually, it is really hard to understand Alverson's drama ins and outs. It is soaked with George Orwell's dystopian perception of reality, dripping with grotesque, with Greek tragedy written all over it too. What's more, the scraps of comedian's performances that we watch, are truly pitiful and create a colorful canvas with his personal drama. It's tailored with malaise and heart-wrenching sadness. We are also given a lot of symbolism – odd scenes (like the giving birth sequence) that even though sketch in the details of comedian's surroundings, reveal nothing important to the story itself. Yet, Alverson's point that he strives to make is just too obvious – you can't entertain people, if you don't feel like doing so. Entertainment just falls into the pit of self-loving artistry, without understanding the importance of the dialogue with the audience.Nevertheless, what needs to be stated is that the acting in Alverson's feature deserves appreciation. Turkington masterfully portrays a withdrawn, introvert and people-hating man, with details nurtured greatly, so that it makes his performance noticeable. The supporting cast do their part too – Tye Sheridan is perfect as the comedian's co-worker and John C. Reilly singing is something one just need to love. Then again, quite the contrary could be said about the soundtrack. It varies from creating a joyful contrast to be exaggerating with drama, struggling to remain the background and eventually becoming distracting.Entertainment was one of the indie productions that I truly awaited last year. Putting apart my love for peculiar filmmaking and the fact that Alverson's film reminds me of films like Lanthimos' Lobster, Coens' A serious man or Fargo – this film fails to establish any truthful bond with the viewer. If you seek a story of a broken comedian, this year's TV series Baskets is a much better choice.

I have respect for the genre, and I'll concede there were some truly artful scenes, well composed shots, and initially interesting setting, but absolutely nothing was made of it's potential. It went no where, said nothing, and gave audiences no reason to slog through to the end. There is not a single likable character, and not an ounce of emotion was inspired in me... except for disgust towards the miserable main character, who remained depressed, pathetic, and detached in private, while presenting an increasingly repulsive, abrasive, and likely insane performer persona.The movie did cause me to feel one thing very deeply: regret for wasting my time. It was a complete and utter disappointment...an hour and some change of my life I'll never get back.

The previous reviewer is so right. I was also at the LA screening at Sundance NextFest tonight. The movie is boring, depressing and completely incoherent. Not one likable character. I walked out after 60 minutes and went to the bar downstairs.While John C. Reilly tried his best to save what little there was to offer in this movie, it still failed. ZERO plot. My two other friends who sat through the whole movie said it never got any better after I left.Save your time and money. Disappointed that it even made the NextFest list. The musical act that followed was just as incoherent and depressing.