Louis C.K.’s ‘Fourth of July’: Film Review

When Louis C.Ok. tried to restart his profession after his sexual misconduct scandal, he did it gingerly by performing unannounced units in small comedy golf equipment. He’s basically doing the identical factor together with his return to filmmaking. This low-budget indie dramedy being launched in a smattering of film theaters (as of now, it’s not scheduled to be screened by any of the bigger chains) reveals the controversial comedian working in an uncharacteristically muted style. Missing the acerbic fringe of his sensible work on the sitcom Louie and net sequence Horace and Pete, Fourth of July seems to be one thing we might have by no means anticipated from its director/co-writer — bland.

Partly this appears as a result of he’s working in collaboration with comic Joe Listing, who co-wrote the screenplay, govt produced and stars within the lead position of Jeff, a recovering alcoholic and anxiety-ridden jazz pianist. C.Ok. reveals up solely in a few scenes as Joe’s therapist, a little bit of casting that feels ironic contemplating his points.

Impressed by Listing’s personal experiences, the movie begins by revealing the myriad private issues afflicting Jeff’s life, a few of which come out throughout a remedy session through which he frustratingly tells his shrink, “You suck! You’re just like the worst therapist!” Sober for 3 years, he has a wedding to Beth (comic Sarah Tollemache, Listing’s real-life partner) that’s struggling due to her unfulfilled want to have a baby. Lastly, barely able to dealing with his personal issues, Jeff is recruited by his AA sponsor (Invoice Scheft) to function a sponsor for Bobby (Robert Kelly), an emotionally demanding fellow musician.

Inspired by his therapist to confront his unresolved emotional points together with his mother and father, Jeff travels alone to their annual Fourth of July celebration at their lake home, with quite a few prolonged relations in attendance. Issues don’t begin off effectively: Prodded by his mom (Paula Plum) to talk up when he begins hemming and hawing about eager to have a critical dialog along with her and his father, he blurts out that he felt unloved rising up and that they’re the reason for his issues. After which issues get even worse when she shortly thereafter humiliates him by mocking his neediness in entrance of all of the others.

This form of dysfunctional household gathering is the stuff of limitless autobiographical dramas, saddling Fourth of July with a well-known feeling additional exacerbated by its lack of incisive dialogue and well-drawn characterizations. The proceedings primarily function a variety of bickering, with the perpetually dour Jeff coping with quite a few annoying relations, together with his obnoxious Uncle Kevin (Nick Di Paolo), who finds it amusing to tear down Jeff’s shorts throughout a volleyball recreation, and his Uncle Mark (Chris Walsh), who’s solely two years older as a result of his father is Jeff’s grandfather. He does take some consolation within the firm of the vivacious Naomi (Tara Pacheco), a just lately widowed co-worker of certainly one of his cousins.

It doesn’t take lengthy for the quite a few scenes that includes the relations behaving boorishly to really feel repetitive. The supposed dramatic moments, resembling Jeff’s seemingly emotionally closed-off father (Robert Walsh) instantly revealing stunning depths, don’t actually land. And a pizza parlor encounter through which Jeff miraculously overcomes his doubts about fatherhood with the assistance of a quick pep speak isn’t remotely convincing.

The movie feels prefer it should have been personally therapeutic for its star and co-writer, however Listing by no means manages to make us relate to his character’s perpetual navel-gazing. And whereas he’s essentially hampered by taking part in somebody affected by melancholy, his monochromatic deadpan efficiency proves extra tedious than involving.

C.Ok. has populated the movie with numerous his fellow comedians, who often garner some gentle laughs with their raucous asides, however real humor is in brief provide. If this undeniably gifted multi-hyphenate actually needed to make an affect together with his first movie for the reason that unreleased I Love You Daddy, maybe he ought to have delved into his personal psyche as an alternative.