Introduction to MauiPeterBMovieReviews.blogspot.com
Click this link to read:
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Nobody Wants This (2024) [TV-MA] ****
A
film review by Richard Roeper on September 26, 2024.
It’s the mid-2000s crossover we always wanted! Kristen Bell from ‘Veronica Mars’ is Joanne, an outspoken and agnostic blonde with a sexually explicit podcast, and Adam Brody from ‘The O.C.’ is Noah, a hot rabbi from a traditional Jewish family. How can these two VERY different people make a romance work? After all ... Nobody Wants This!
Talk about a title that could be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Of
course, it’s all in the execution, and the good news is that Nobody Wants This is a smart, breezy,
warmhearted and consistently funny show, with each episode playing like a mini
version of an endearing rom-com. Inspired by the real-life experience of
creator Erin Foster, this is a sweet
confection that nevertheless has enough bite and edge to avoid delving into the
mawkish. It’s also refreshingly candid while being respectful in its treatment
of Judaism, and yet not shying away from mining humor from certain tropes and
misconceptions.
In
the 1990s and 2000s, the leads in rom-com series and films would often work in
magazine publishing or advertising or at TV station; these days, they have a
podcast. So it goes with Kristen Bell’s Joanne and her sister and best friend
Morgan (Justine Lupe, Willa on Succession). They’re both single and
they’ve been through all the dating apps more than once, and they mine their
experiences and observations for frank discussions on their increasingly
popular podcast, which actually does sound like it could be a hit.
At
a party thrown by their producer, Ashley (Sherry
Cola), Joanne has a Meet Cute
with Adam Brody’s Noah, a handsome and witty rabbi who has recently ended
things with his longtime girlfriend Rebecca (Emily Arlook). From the get-go, Joanne and Noah acknowledge there’s
a mutual attraction, but also there’s no point in pursuing a romance because
despite Noah’s hipster quipping and cool, he’s a very traditional rabbi who is
all-in, while Joanne is the very definition of the classic shiksa. They’ll just stay in the Friend Zone.
You
can guess how long that lasts.
Over
the course of 10 fast-paced episodes, none longer than 31 minutes, Nobody Wants This follows these two
flawed but relatable and essentially good people who are so obviously right for
one another but face a checklist of rom-com obstacles along the way, from the
religious and cultural divide to the craziness of their respective families to
social media-fueled misunderstandings to the ex-girlfriend who might still be
in the picture.
Bell
and Brody are natural actors who click wonderfully together, and the supporting
cast is filled with terrific and familiar talents. Justine Lupe is a
scene-stealing comedic force as Morgan, while Timothy Simons (Veep)
turns in typically hilarious work as Noah’s cloddy but endearing brother Sasha.
Legendary Broadway star Tovah Feldshuh
plays Noah’s rigid and controlling mother, Bina, in a role that brushes up
against stereotypes but is saved by the sharp writing and commanding
performance.
At
times, Joanne’s lack of knowledge about anything Jewish strains credulity. It’s
hard to believe she’s never heard the term shalom,
and when she learns it means hello,
goodbye and peace, she chirps, Oh,
it’s like the Jewish ‘aloha’!
Mostly,
though, Nobody Wants This has fun
with clichés and tropes, as when Noah and Sasha hear a message from Morgan
telling Joanne that Noah is cuter than I
expected, he doesn’t look that Jewish, and Noah says, What does Jewish look like to you? Are you picturing a bigger nose, or
like curlier hair and Sasha chimes in with, Does my brother not look like he could control the media? (That
it’s done in a teasing and affectionate fashion makes all the difference.)
Other
times, Noah’s passion for his faith and Joanne’s willingness to learn is
handled with grace, as when Noah explains the rituals and meaning of Havdalah, the ceremony marking the end
of Shabbat, and Joanne finds it quite
lovely. (There are also plenty of current-day touches, from the use of Olivia Rodrigo songs to a reference to
the Call Her Daddy podcast.)
This
is also a great-looking show, painting L.A. in the most flattering light.
Everyone lives in places that could be photo spreads in the Los Angeles Times,
and they hang out at picturesque places like the rooftop at Mama Shelter in
Hollywood for brunch. Powered by the enduring likability of Bell and Brody,
that wonderful supporting cast and the consistently strong writing, Nobody Wants This has all the
ingredients for a multi-season run. [Roeper’s rating: 3 stars out of 4]
Labels:
comedy
IMDb 81/100
MetaScore (critics=73, viewers=61)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=78, viewers=86)
Netflix
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)