I Smile Back was spoken about quite a bit on the podcast circuit that I listen to especially since Sarah Silverman and Doug Benson are friends. It had been on my list for a while now, and I received it via DVD.com this week. Silverman’s performance is really strong, and while her character makes lots of bad choices yet is able to garner sympathy. While the main story of I Smile Back is very compelling, there are some things not quite developed earning it the rating of Decent Watch.
I Smile Back story summary:
Laney Brooks (Silverman) is trying to be a good mother and wife to her family, but is still trying to live the life of a single women. Laney does what she wants when left to her own devices and her duality is slowly slipping out of her control.
This film is a showcase of Silverman’s acting ability. There are long takes of her just staring blankly at the beginning of the film that really shows so much of the characters inner turmoil. Judging herself and trying to find something that makes her happy is shown through her actions. I’ve seen Silverman mainly in comedies and secondary roles, but she did a fantastic job in this film.
Laney makes choices in this film that I ultimately disagree with, but I felt sympathy for her character something that Witherspoon didn’t manage in Wild nor did Cate Blanchett’s character in Blue Jasmine. I’m not saying Silverman is a better actress than either of those, but the story in this film was able to make me care about Laney in a way the other films didn’t manage.
Director Adam Salky does some solid work with camerawork and pacing in this film. He manages to really demonstrate the craziness that is Laney’s life. Paired with Silverman’s acting and the directorial choices the film hits the emotional notes it is going for. The entire opening sequence demonstrates the crazy that Laney is feeling really establishes the tone the film will be working with perfectly.
A few pieces of the story feel underdeveloped and the ending doesn’t quite provide the closure that I’d prefer in a story like this. I Smile Back doesn’t do anything new with this type of story and the beats are fairly predictable. However, Silverman does show her ability to carry a dramatic role and I would definitely watch other films she gets the lead in.
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