The King of Staten Island (B or 3/4 stars)
'The King of Staten Island' (directed & co-written by Judd Apatow) is a dramedy that is loosely based on SNL star Pete Davidson's past. Like the character he plays, Davidson, at age 7, experienced a traumatic experience with a lasting impact. Scott Carlin is a 24 yr. old man-child who still lives at home with his widowed, nurse mom, Marge (Marisa Tomei), & sister, Claire (Maude Apatow), who's about to leave to college. Still traumatized by his firefighter father's death 17 yrs. ago, Scott drifts through life on a path to nowhere. Sure, he wants to open his own tattoo parlor, but he lacks ambition & spends most of his time getting high with his friends, when not sleeping with - but not committing to - his 'friend with benefits', Kelsey (Bel Powley).
One day, while chilling with his amiable, but lowly buddies, Scott agrees to tattoo 9 yr. old Harold (Luke David Blumm) without getting permission. The boy's father, Ray Bishop (Bill Burr), storms over in a rage to Margie's house to complain, but soon ends up asking Margie out on a date. As it turns out, Ray is also a firefighter, and, despite his attempts to befriend rudderless Scott, they simply do not along. Ray even gets Scott to escort Harold & his sister (Alexis Rae Forlenza), back-&-forth to school each day. Soon after Scott's buds get into trouble while trying to rob a pharmacy, Scott gets kicked out of his home & winds up staying at - of all places - Ray's firehouse, leading to unexpected developments, life lessons, & the chance to grow as a man.
It took me a while to warm to 'The King of Staten Island'. Much of the 1st half felt unfocused, a bit over-the-top, and realllllly 'try hard' with the humor. But things settle down in the 2nd half and I wound up enjoying this predictable, inconsequential, but ultimately satisfying Apatow dramedy. Given the delicate sorrow at the center of the film and, despite the typical Apatow raunch, this is an emotionally touching movie. Tackling some of Pete Davidson's real-life troubles {his firefighter father died in 9/11}, there are some heavy things going on in the script, but levity keeps it out of the doldrums.
Davidson's stellar performance kept me tuned-in amid a lot of loping, la-dee-dah-ness of the story. Writer/director Judd Apatow still hasn't learned that compactness of his films is paramount. I'm sorry, but 99% of comedies - or even dramedies - have no business being much over 90-105 minutes in length; and this one's 137 is a bit exorbitant. Also, whatever happened to those great scripted comedies of the past? Now, comedies have a rambling, faux-off-the-cuff vibe that simply isn't as effective, script-wise. Having said that, Apatow keeps all of the supporting characters & subplots afloat. And the movie has a strong sense of place, capturing Staten Island's je ne sais quoi appeal, as well as its seediness.
Pete Davidson's brand of comedy will not appeal to everyone, but fans - like myself - will find him engaging as our neurotic goofball. Though lacking in charm, Davidson exudes a sort of bruised charisma. His performance becomes increasingly textured as Scott's emotional scars unveil themselves, and he finds an unlikely father figure in his mother's boyfriend. Sure, Scott is indulgent, prickly, unflustered & a hot mess, but there's a decency at his core; someone you want to see come into his own. He balances pain & humor with aplomb, creating an authentic performance of a type of young man that we all know in our lives ... for better or worse.
Though it's a bit unwieldy & predictable, Apatow, Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr {very good, here}, Bel Powley, Steve Buscemi & the rest of the large cast keeps the film's lovable energy palpable enough for us to forgive its weaknesses. As a portrait of a lost young man finally deciding to find himself in a present that's missing a precious part of his past, I dug it.
One day, while chilling with his amiable, but lowly buddies, Scott agrees to tattoo 9 yr. old Harold (Luke David Blumm) without getting permission. The boy's father, Ray Bishop (Bill Burr), storms over in a rage to Margie's house to complain, but soon ends up asking Margie out on a date. As it turns out, Ray is also a firefighter, and, despite his attempts to befriend rudderless Scott, they simply do not along. Ray even gets Scott to escort Harold & his sister (Alexis Rae Forlenza), back-&-forth to school each day. Soon after Scott's buds get into trouble while trying to rob a pharmacy, Scott gets kicked out of his home & winds up staying at - of all places - Ray's firehouse, leading to unexpected developments, life lessons, & the chance to grow as a man.
It took me a while to warm to 'The King of Staten Island'. Much of the 1st half felt unfocused, a bit over-the-top, and realllllly 'try hard' with the humor. But things settle down in the 2nd half and I wound up enjoying this predictable, inconsequential, but ultimately satisfying Apatow dramedy. Given the delicate sorrow at the center of the film and, despite the typical Apatow raunch, this is an emotionally touching movie. Tackling some of Pete Davidson's real-life troubles {his firefighter father died in 9/11}, there are some heavy things going on in the script, but levity keeps it out of the doldrums.
Davidson's stellar performance kept me tuned-in amid a lot of loping, la-dee-dah-ness of the story. Writer/director Judd Apatow still hasn't learned that compactness of his films is paramount. I'm sorry, but 99% of comedies - or even dramedies - have no business being much over 90-105 minutes in length; and this one's 137 is a bit exorbitant. Also, whatever happened to those great scripted comedies of the past? Now, comedies have a rambling, faux-off-the-cuff vibe that simply isn't as effective, script-wise. Having said that, Apatow keeps all of the supporting characters & subplots afloat. And the movie has a strong sense of place, capturing Staten Island's je ne sais quoi appeal, as well as its seediness.
Pete Davidson's brand of comedy will not appeal to everyone, but fans - like myself - will find him engaging as our neurotic goofball. Though lacking in charm, Davidson exudes a sort of bruised charisma. His performance becomes increasingly textured as Scott's emotional scars unveil themselves, and he finds an unlikely father figure in his mother's boyfriend. Sure, Scott is indulgent, prickly, unflustered & a hot mess, but there's a decency at his core; someone you want to see come into his own. He balances pain & humor with aplomb, creating an authentic performance of a type of young man that we all know in our lives ... for better or worse.
Though it's a bit unwieldy & predictable, Apatow, Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr {very good, here}, Bel Powley, Steve Buscemi & the rest of the large cast keeps the film's lovable energy palpable enough for us to forgive its weaknesses. As a portrait of a lost young man finally deciding to find himself in a present that's missing a precious part of his past, I dug it.