Why Was He Living the Same Hour Over and Over Again in Naked
The pitch for the Netflix original movie "Naked" was about as uncomplicated every bit they come: "Similar "Groundhog Day" … but naked." Marlon Wayans, in something of a career surge with this premiere and his new NBC sitcom "Marlon," reunites with "A Haunted Business firm" and "Fifty Shades of Black" managing director Michael Tiddes for this story of a man who repeatedly wakes upwardly naked in an lift on his nuptials 24-hour interval. Forced to live the same nightmare day after day, complete with a disapproving future father-in-law, obnoxious ex-fellow of his future wife, an unexpected stranger in his bed, and much more than, Rob is one of those guys who has to figure a few things out before he walks down the alley. If you're thinking to yourself, "That's not plenty story or comedy for a moving-picture show," y'all're non incorrect. It's an extended sketch, the kind of matter that could accept worked every bit a short movie or a sitcom just feels stretched far beyond its potential at 96 minutes (and you'll think it's twice as long). Wayans has ever been an underrated physical comedian, and the movie works best when he's immune to unleash that side of his persona, simply that'southward too rare and non enough to rescue the rest of this comedy ceremony.
Wayans plays Rob, a charming neurotic who recognizes that he's "marrying upwards" to the lovely and patient Megan (the ever-solid Regina Hall, given way too little to exercise here). His father-in-law (Dennis Haysbert) tin can't stand up that his daughter is marrying a substitute teacher instead of the millionaire (Scott Foley) she could have gotten hitched to years agone. Equally the actual wedding approaches, Rob feels the natural fretfulness that come with the big day, amplified by all of the people around him who seem to exist working against the spousal relationship, including a Maid of Laurels (Eliza Coupe of "Happy Endings") who knows how irresponsible Rob can be. And so he wakes up in an elevator without a stitch of article of clothing on, while everyone else is waiting for him at the church. He rushes to his wedding, only when the church bells band, he lands dorsum on his face up in the elevator, starting the whole crazy day over once more.
Of grade, Rob has to learn a few key lessons about responsibleness and the sanctimony of marriage in order to get past his "Groundhog Solar day" situation, simply the whole affair feels thin right from the very beginning. Over the course of his repetitive mean solar day, Rob makes new friends, including R&B musician Brian McKnight of all people, and learns a few things about the people at his nuptials. The idea that Rob was so insecure that information technology blinded him to much of what was going on effectually him, including how lucky he was to find the right girl, isn't a bad ane, information technology'south but never fleshed out in whatsoever pregnant or, more importantly, entertaining way. The script needed another pass, and, most of all, a director who knew how to find the right frenetic stride to capture the tone of a movie in which its leading man was naked one-half the fourth dimension. Tiddes never leans into the insanity of his concept in a fashion that makes it piece of work. Believe it or non, information technology's too wearisome. Yous could probably close your eyes and imagine the entire motion-picture show right at present.
The one affair that virtually salvages "Naked" is the fearlessness of its leading human, e'er a welcome presence but oft working on projects that don't give him enough to practice. Hither, he'south allowed to prove off a few times, especially in the heart of the picture show when Rob basically memorizes every possible outcome to the situation in forepart of him by repeating the same mean solar day over and over once again. There's a fight with Foley, in which Rob knows every punch before information technology's thrown, that's pretty funny, and I liked when Rob realized that an ambulance was the fastest style to get him to the church and then he basically throws himself in front end of cars over and once again. It's a movie of moments but too little to connect them.
The trouble is that "Naked" gets equally repetitive every bit Rob'south predicament. We see the same jokes, learn the same lessons, hear the aforementioned speeches—and the film wears out its running time on its fashion to well-nigh a dozen endings. Are there worse ways to spend a Fri night with your favorite streaming service? Sure, but if this and the Sandler Cinematic Universe are the lynchpins to Netflix's arroyo to movie one-act, the major studios take less to worry virtually than they think.
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico is the Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers telly, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is too a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.
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Naked (2017)
96 minutes
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Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/naked-2017
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