The Mosley Review: Saturday Night
As a theatre kid, this film was a cathartic experience. I vividly remember the intense feeling of excitement, anxiety and readiness to perform in a auditorium packed to the rafters with over three hundred people. The hours leading up to the curtain rise, you are feverishly combing over every line of dialogue, tracing every step of your blocking and making sure every costume fits and each change was seamless. There's no thrill like live theatre and that is what this film captures on another level. Many have wanted to do a "making of" or origin story of Saturday Night Live, but this film decided to do something even better than a standard biopic. From the moment the film begins, you are both a fly on the wall and in the shoes of the man that created what has now lived on for 50 historical years. It changed broadcast television and the world of comedy forever and it wasn't without its doubts and difficulties. This film captures that fateful night and the 90 minutes leading up the iconic opening in break neck speed and a pulse pounding way that was truly unexpected and welcomed.
Gabriel LaBelle was fantastic as the ambitious, passionate and stressed out comedic genius, Lorne Michaels. I loved that no matter what, he was on task the entire time and even though the pressure steadily increased throughout the night, he was ready to deal with anything. I felt his anxiety, determination and heart as Gabriel brings to life that inner creative force of the visionary. Rachel Sennott was awesome as his wife, Rosie Shuster. The two of them had a working relationship that was both filled with love, trust and friendship. They worked so well off of each other even if their relationship wasn't traditional. Cooper Hoffman was great as his co-producer, Dick Ebersol and loved his loyalty to Lorne. He was sort of the balance in the chaos that set him straight and told him the truth when he needed to hear it. They had a great chemistry and it was a highlight of the film. Tommy Dewey was hilarious, witty and strongly sarcastic as Michael O'Donoghue. I loved his quick insults and humor that felt modern and revolutionary in its delivery. He has an amazing standoff scene with the "Standards and Practices" editor that was darkly offensive, sharp and hilarious. Willem Dafoe is no slouch and as David Tebet, he delivers as the main NBC network executive Lorne has to prove himself to. The tension of broadcasting something untested was truly highlighted in their scenes together. J.K. Simmons is like a good luck charm to every film and as the legendary Milton Berle, he was truly having fun as the rightfully larger than life entertainer.
Now the biggest thing this film captures is the night the original cast of SNL prepared to take the stage and all the high jinks that ensued before cameras rolled. Cory Michael Smith was absolutely brilliant and spot as Chevy Chase. He captured his comedic timing, wit and charm as the leading man in the room. He instantly would draw the most focus when in attendance of meetings or even just hanging out with his fellow cast members. Ella Hunt was sweet as Gilda Radner. She nailed her shy and loveable personality as you see the start of a love triangle between her and another classic cast member. Dylan O'Brien was outstadning as Dan Aykroyd as he pulled off his iconic speech pattern and cadence. I loved that he highlighted the flirtatious nature of Dan and his ever expansive attention to detail in one particular sketch. Emily Fairn was great as Laraine Newman and she looked almost exactly like her. She was very spunky and quirkie. Matt Wood was fantastic and unpredictable as John Belushi. He looked and sounded just like John as he nailed his personality and his devotion to comedy. He was a troublsome person and he brings that to life in many scenes. Kim Matula was great as Jane Curtin and she highlights her striking sense of humor and line delivery in one particular scene in the film. Lamorne Morris was perfection as the legendary Garrett Morris. Lamorne is known for his brilliant impressions, but he becomes Garrett instantly the moment he moves and speaks. Nicholas Braun was a complete chameleon in his portrayal of both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson. He disappeared into both characters and he nailed Andy's childlike charm and comedic timing and definitely brought to life the soft spoken and kind nature of Henson. What a wonderful cast.
The score by the wonderful Jon Batiste was funky, smooth, warm, and fueled the tension of the story. It kept the pacing of the film up and the stress level high in the constant drum beat that felt like the heartbeat of the film. He gets a chance to perform as the great Billy Preston in number of scenes and he was great as well. Visually, this film was stunning and felt like I was watching a documentary shot on Super 8 film stock. The attention to the detail of the many film scratches and subtle dots in the scene transition was great. There are so many Easter eggs and beginnings of classic SNL sketches that you see being constructed that any die hard fan will catch. Jason Reitman has truly made pulse pounding, stressful and beautiful love letter to the greatest sketch comedy show on television. This was truly one of the best film experiences I've had in a while and most definitely one of the best films of the year! This is a must see!! Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
