Palm Springs Review

Palm Springs, a desert resort located in California it is about 2,400 miles to the west to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It's sun-kissed as that town can get cold, and has a small number of rodents with clairvoyance named Phil. While Palm Springs may on paper seem a bit like the comedy of 1993 Groundhog Day, which featured Punxsutawney, Bill Murray and the mentioned Phil however, it's quite different. Sure, there's an old-fashioned couple who fall into love. There's also a gruesome man sporting a bald head that is trying to chase the hero and a popular 1960s-era pop tune (in this instance, The Toys' 'A Lover's Consorto', instead of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe'). But the director Max Barbakow and writer Andy Siara combine the well-known elements with wit and aplomb, creating a time-loop comedy that is able to stand in the same space as its genre king instead of squaring against the this film's Love Wedding Repeat.

One of the ways it is a major departure is the story it tells. At firstglance, the main character is identified as the slacker from Andy Samberg's film Nyles who has a long-haired man who, wearing a black and crimson Hawaiian shirt and mustard shorts, actually looks less than the Murray in Groundhog Day than the Murray of the '70s summer camp comedy Meatballs. We follow Nyles in the early hours of the day as he flits around in awkward morning sex sessions with his overly self-centered lover Misty (Meredith Hagner) and then lounges around in a pool with an inflatable slice of pizza and is off to a wedding. There, Nyles seems to be awestruck by the things going to happen especially on the dance floor. However, it's not long before the film is introduced to another perspective one, that of the bride's sister Sarah (Cristin Milioti). A diminutive figure at the beginning of the story, sipping glass after glass of champagne while looking over the wedding festivities, Sarah quickly becomes as important as Nyles who is battling the same chronology dilemma the couple is facing. Since, as Sarah states the underlying issue to Palm Springs is "one of the endless time-loop scenarios you've heard of."

It's the joke to beat this year.

With the comedy dynamite that is behind it, it's not a surprise that it's an extremely funny film. The film is produced through The Lonely Island, the team who created The This Is Spinal Tap formula their own by incorporating Popstar"Never Stop, Never Stopping. They, Barbakow and Siara come up with new ways to play with Nyles Sarah's personal problems. Tattoos that aren't a problem as well as a stunning dance number at the biker bar as well as an explosive aircraft, J.K. Simmons as a mysterious man determined to kill Nyles as well as probably the funniest car-handjob scene of 2021 (although the year is young). While it's spicier and more violent as Groundhog Day, it never gets lost in its sweetness. It's also a great movie because Milioti and Samberg make a great partner for one another with their willingness to get into any situation however ridiculous typically wearing a red can filled with Akupara beverage in hands. (Don't attempt to locate that brand by yourself. Named after a tortoise from Hindu mythology, who can be described to be "one who is immortal" It was created specifically for the movie.)

If Palm Springs was merely as hilarious that it already is it would be good enough. It's a nice breezy, summery, time-loop comedy featuring that man Hot Rod Hot Rod in it. However it's much more than this. As Groundhog Day ventured into more philosophical territory than the poster suggested, this story uses its plot to add real emotions into the story. Sometimes it's dark. Nyles has been trapped within the loop for so long that it's hard to remember the work he used to do, whereas Sarah has been hiding an unsolved issue that will eventually come out but sometimes it's inspiring, not least as a result of the ever-changing relationship between these two wastrels. In contrast to Popstar there's not much irony and the genuineness creates a sense of authenticity. Samberg is more mellow and popular than he's ever in his career, and Milioti who was known previously for her role as the mother on How I Met Your Mother shows so many different shades that she definitely will have a long career in front of her.

With a flawlessly pitched music track (Palm Springs is located within the Coachella Valley), a hint of surrealism and numerous twists in its repertoire It's the one to be beat this year. Even better it didn't have the line "Would you take me down once more? To beat the traffic?"