In A World…

In a world in which female-led comedies are a rarity beyond fantasy-laden examples of romantic wish-fulfilment, writer, director, producer and actor, Lake Bell, decided to make her own. In a world in which women are an infrequent presence in voice acting and voiceovers – ‘the industry does not crave a female sound’ is the accepted position – her fictional alter ego, vocal coach Carol Solomon, tries to forge a career.

‘In a world…’ is a hallowed phrase in Carol’s desired profession, the frequent fodder of movie trailers for epic works. Those three words are slated to return for teen-friendly action series, The Amazon Games, sparking feverish excitement throughout the industry. Every voiceover artist dreams of their utterance with bated breath, Carol’s famous father Sam Soto (Fred Melamed, The Dictator) and his successful protégé Gustav Warner (Ken Marino, We’re the Millers) among them. As the frenzy mounts, an expected competitor enters the fray: Carol, hot on the heels of booking her first voiceover gigs.

As the aptly titled, affably enjoyable In A World… charts Carol’s attempts to survive in a male-dominated realm, the parallels between the film’s on-screen narrative and off-screen context are clear. Bell, a talented comic presence on television show Childrens Hospital, and a supporting player in features What Happens in Vegas and No Strings Attached, confronts the lack of interesting female lead roles head-on by creating her own starring vehicle, refreshingly sans standard rom-com set-up – but doesn’t let her message overshadow her content.

By using an insular and seldom-explored industry as its basis, In A World… bubbles with considered comedy, bursting with jokes but also seething with wry observations – not only about the obvious contrast, but about show business and family relationships. The film falls firmly from the screwball mould with enthusiasm and energy, its many goofy gags fast paced and frightfully funny (including an interlude where Carol tries to teach Eva Longoria to master a cockney accent without sounding like a pirate). Yet, it also moves with its melancholic musings on knowing what to do with your life when you’re well past the threshold of adulthood, as 30-year-old Carol crashes on couches, struggles for jobs and makes bad dating decisions.

Accordingly, the cynical and sweet In a World… offers an affectionate, insightful look at its interconnected issues, as rendered with endearing fun and charismatic authenticity. Despite the setting, Bell has populated her film with familiar elements, but what thrives are the details and characters. As the feature’s guiding force, her always-smart, sometimes-satirical contemplation of every aspect of her on-screen charges ranges beyond the usual aspects of easy amusement. She searches for the reality – warm, witty and wise, but also warts-and-all – that lingers beyond the usual movie façade.

Bell’s protagonist is never pigeonholed as quirky, even as offbeat occasions pile up around her. Her scenarios may be unconventional and comic, but are never played for easy laughs. Her supporting cast – including Michaela Watkins (Thanks for Sharing) as her frustrated sister, Rob Corddry (Warm Bodies) as her kindly brother-in-law, Alexandra Holden (Lovely Molly) as her father’s age-inappropriate girlfriend, and Demetri Martin (Contagion) as her likeable love interest – are thoughtfully, tenderly written, given scope beyond their secondary status. That’s In a World…, a rich and resonant slice of comedic life that dwells in the space most films avoid.

Joondalup Pines, Joondalup Drive
Perth International Arts Festival
www.perthfestival.com.au
3 – 17 March