Landline: Review

I've had a really difficult week recently and while I won't go into the particulars of what made this week so shitty, I will say that it has left me in desperate need of a relaxing and light-hearted time. And along came Landline, the latest summer surprise from the crew that brought the hilarious and honest Obvious Child in 2014. I've always viewed a good amount of Sundance dramedies as the purest kind of comfort food cinema and I can't possibly think of a more fitting example than that of Landline.

Taking place in the mid-1990’s and following a Manhattan family as they navigate their way through a very difficult and painful time in their lives. Each and every character in this film feels so real and even when I didn't agree with or respect their choices in the film, I always completely empathized with them. And even when the film feels a bit like a primetime sitcom, it never seemed to lose its charm or weight. The cast is absolutely out of this world, (Queen) Jenny Slate is as amazing and entertaining as she's always been, John Turturro and Edie Falco breath experienced life into the film, and newcomer Abby Quinn shines.

The 1995 setting for this film fits perfectly, it helps it boast an old-fashioned sense of wisdom and comedy that reminds me of the heyday for independent American dramedies. I'm stunned at how well this film expresses the difficulty in expressing your inner thoughts to the ones you care about, and it does it in a remarkably delicate and emotional manner. It comes across some rough patches here and there but Landline never felt short of feeling immensely refreshing and entertaining. It's brilliant and spectacular in all the ways that it should be and to put in simply, it is exactly the film that I felt like I desperately needed right now and I'm very thankful for that. It's the most surprising summer delight I've come across this year. Go see it! Support Jenny Slate’s awesomeness! (9/10)