Palm Springs Review: Stuck in a funny moment
Starring : Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, Peter Gallagher, and J. K. Simmons
Directed by : Max Barbakow
Palm Springs is a 2020 American romantic comedy film directed by Max Barbakow (in his directorial debut) and written by Andy Siara. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020, and was released in select theaters by Neon and digitally on Hulu on July 10, 2020.
The film revolves around Nyles (Andy Samberg), a man who is stuck in an infinite time loop. He has to go through the same day again and again with not even death capable of freeing him. He got himself trapped into this after being sucked into an anomalous vortex inside a cave. Nyle has accepted his fate of an eternal nihilistic existence and spends his day however he feels so. Everything changes when Sarah (Cristin Milioti) is sucked into this conundrum with him. The plot does seem similar to most of ours current routines (maybe a bit too close for comfort).
The movie is set in an uncrowded Palm Springs, a beautiful desert resort city. The sunny location along with the soundtrack gives off a relaxed summer vibe. The film is sprinkled with a confetti of millennial humour about overreacting drama queens, reckless lifestyle, out of touch parents and mental health among others. Andy Samberg ,who is familiar to us through Brooklyn 99 and SNL, doesn’t repeat his usual goofy television persona. He breathes life to the simple and innocent Nyle showcasing his emotions sensitively along with pulling off the jokes with timing. Sarah’s nihilistic mindset could have been more vividly written. Sarah does come off as a bit of a cliché as a reckless, misunderstood and depressed young woman (reminiscent of the lead in the series Undone). Roy (J. K. Simmons) is also a character that could have used more focus in terms of characterization.
The movie has a clever and tight narrative that never loses momentum from start to finish. Almost every scene is carefully written to hide a deeper meaning or significance in the full context of the movie. Each previous scene attains a new meaning as the movie progresses and this methodical revelation of nuances in the fast screenplay keeps the movie exciting and engaging. This intricate writing helps the movie to dish out more substance in its brief running time of 90 minutes. The movie does get generic with the relationship drama and the fuzzy scientific theory is contrived towards the end but the runtime comes to the rescue.
Palm Springs deals with themes of family, time, and love. It has moments showing us that our words and actions have a lasting impact. We can’t turn our heads on life and give it the driving wheel. We have no choice but to reach tomorrow.
