Saturday evening: incredibly charming chaos in the film

Austin Waybright October 15, 2024 – 10:01 am

Why do anything? How practical, why do something? When you ask this question, you open a terrible can of worms that can change the entire perception of an object or work of art. Finding meaning is a treacherous endeavor, but somehow Saturday eveningThe latest film from writer-director Jason Reitman manages to do just that, while also being one of the most exciting and entertaining films I’ve seen this year. This electrifying ensemble dramedy is a magnificent mayhem on film that conveys every aspect of what makes the concept of a live comedy sketch show in New York such a beloved institution in modern media history.

The most immediate aspect is the dynamic cast of characters, beautifully portrayed by numerous young talents currently working. The leader and frontman of this group is a (correction: THE) up-and-coming movie star who should be on everyone’s lips by now: Gabriel LaBelle, who portrays the legendary producer Lorne Michaels. His manic performance, firing a million neurons per second, is magnetic as he carefully navigates his way through an ever-growing list of problems trying to stop Saturday Night Live’s very first filming session in October 1975. At his side is his wife and screenwriter Rosie Shuster, superbly played by another future Hollywood giant, Rachel Sennott, who helps him deal with this band of talented misfits, crazy offbeat writers, disgruntled stage crews, studio executives and muppetiers . These two stars are like lightning rods for acting talent and charm. Both are capable of spitting out hilarious jokes left and right while simultaneously providing viewers with efficient context for whatever bizarre situations befall them and the audience next, all while simultaneously appearing visually stressed in their moment one pumpkin, then the next, the happiest person there ever was.

It doesn’t just stop with the top-class cast. This entire ensemble is full of charisma, charm and energy. Every actor is at full tilt, giving everything they can in this hectic rush of a film with their limited screen time. I’d like to explain the nuances of each performance, how everyone has some kind of secret recipe for how they manage to both portray a historical talent and feel relevant to the central plot without the performance feeling like a simple imitation or impression feels, but that would make this review a novel. So I will now rank the supporting actors based on how much I liked their performance and character. To be clear, no artist is below a 7/10, and there are twenty of them.

20: Finn Wolfhard – NBC page. 19: Emily Fairn – Larain Newman. 18: Nicholas Podany and Corinne Britti – Billy Crystal and Valri Bromfield (They’re basically a duo, but still pretty funny). 17 Paul Rust – Paul Shaffer. 16: JK Simmons – Milton Berle: 15: Jon Batiste – Billy Preston (great song performance). 14: Andrew Barth Feldman – Neil Levy. 13: Kim Matula – Jane Curtin. 12: Taylor Gray and Mcabe Gregg – Al Franken and Tom Davis (Another spectacular duo) 11: Nicholas Braun – Andy Kaufman 10: Willem Dafoe – Dave Tebet. 9: Tommy Dewey – Michael O’Donoghue. 8: Matthew Rhys – George Carlin. 7: Cooper Hoffman – Dick Ebersol. 6: Nicholas Braum – Jim Henson (yes, these are two different characters, he rocks.) 5: Lamorne Morris – Garrett Morris. 4: Dylan O’Brien – Dan Aykroyd. 3: Matt Wood – John Belushi. 2: Ella Hunt – Gilda Radner. And 1: Cory Michael Smith – Chevy Chase

To sum up my thoughts on the supporting cast, I can say that they are the herbs and spices of this dish. While their absence wouldn’t ruin the meal, their inclusion serves to enrich the core with creative flourishes and a dose of comedic flair. No actor, not even the more obscure supporting characters, lets up; everyone seems to do their best in their sometimes short scenes. In smaller films, this large conglomeration of talent could make the film seem disorganized and cluttered, like one of those mediocre romantic comedies with a billion stars. But inside Saturday eveningEach actor knows their role and infuses their role with just enough charm and talent to be clearly visible while fitting into the film’s larger portrait.

Speaking of the big portrait: the image detail and the pace both increase the enjoyment of the film by presenting the events of the first live performance chronologically and sometimes in real time, using mainly handheld cameras and zoom lenses. It’s obvious that this film would try to recreate the mood and style of SNL. But instead of trying to make the real development and production look squeaky clean, the creative team decided to portray the first night as a chaotic hell at 30 Rock. Where mild success is achieved by considering a costume change or someone introducing a soon-to-be-iconic SNL skit, absolute disaster ensues, resulting in the show being canceled entirely before it even airs. This back and forth gets bigger and more extreme with each pendulum swing, giving the film a lot of momentum between scenes that keeps the audience captivated and excited to see what might happen next. As you get deeper into the film, you start to get in tune with LaBelle’s character, and you realize that these little victories and smiles are the crucial reason why he has to push through that one recording session. With the film, the audience learns why it was made and why Reitman and Co. felt this story needed to be told.

However, while figuring out the meaning of something can be fascinating and insightful, you have to be at least a little interested in the topic beforehand. While some aspects are more common knowledge, like how most people probably know who Dan Aykroyd is, a good portion of the little innuendos in this film will go completely over most people’s heads if they aren’t at least moderate historians of SNL trivia are. If you’re an idiot like this reviewer, you’ll eat this stuff up. If not, just buckle up and hang in there. There is no test after this, so don’t try so hard to take notes. You’re sure to find something entertaining in the character dynamics, and most of the relatable situations play out without the need for extensive context.

Watch this movie and enjoy this wild, chaotic rollercoaster ride Saturday evening. 4.5/5

Saturday evening is a magnificent mess full of young talent and energy that is sure to be one of the must-see films of the fall season. There’s a lot to love about this film, from the spectacular cast to the captivating plot, it’s a film that refuses to be boring. There’s a timeline where this is a run-of-the-mill biopic that wins all the awards and ages like milk. Luckily we live in the timeline where we get scenes where Mighty mouse saves Lorne Michael’s career.