September 4, 2024
FILM: I’LL BE RIGHT THERE
DIRECTED BY: BRENDAN WALSH
STARRING: EDIE FALCO, JEANNIE BERLIN, KAYLI CARTER
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
I’ll Be Right There is the kind of film with a pretty obvious title that almost sounds like a bad television sitcom. It’s also true that this could make for the pilot of a series that, frankly, I’d be happy to watch. There’s an array of interesting characters here that would be great to follow for an extended period of time. Plus, there’s Edie Falco. She is a multiple Emmy winner for the series The Sopranos and Nurse Jackie. Here, she plays Wanda, a single parent with two adult children that are in need of her help whether they want it or not. Wanda also has a lively but ailing mother, an ex-husband with several toddlers, two romantic partners, and a career as a bookkeeper. How does she hold it all together?
The film was written by Jim Beggarty and directed by Brendan Walsh. The latter directed several episodes of Nurse Jackie which also boasted an interesting assortment of characters that Falco was centered around. That is certainly the case here which is why it’s not surprising that she dives into this part so seemingly effortlessly. The first several scenes of the film feature Wanda attempting to support her mother as she meets with a doctor about some potentially serious test results. She then has to comfort her emotional, eight-months pregnant daughter Sarah before racing to meet her son Mark for a joint therapy session. It’s clear that Wanda’s life seems to be focused on driving around to deal with one crisis after another. The big question others put to Wanda is what about her? What are her needs? What does she want?
The fact that the script was written by a man is pretty impressive for he captures so well the heart and spirit that a woman like Wanda has running through her veins. She’s a complete caretaker. It’s no wonder that Falco not only stars in the film but also serves as an Executive Producer (along with Jesse Eisenberg, who is not in the film.) It’s clear that Falco saw something in Wanda that she hasn’t really played before but that also doesn’t really exist in most stories about women. She’s frustrated yet content. She’s made choices that ultimately may or may not be good for her. She may not know it yet but she’s incredibly strong and more in control of her life than most people, including herself, think. These are certainly elements Falco has played before on television but Wanda is actually quite different than all of them, if one studies her characters closely. She’s not a victim of her own addictions like Jackie and she’s not trapped in a troubled marriage with a mob boss. With Wanda, she’s tough but vulnerable.
Of course, much of the credit has to be given to Falco who is the center of the entire film and has the much-envied skill of being able to beautifully bring together her comedic and dramatic chops to a role like this. There are a number of great dialogue scenes here that are simultaneously witty and dramatic. Falco balances both quite perfectly. She is also surrounded by a very strong cast including the great Jeannie Berlin (Succession) as her mother Grace, Kayli Carter (Mrs. America) as her daughter Sarah, Charlie Tahan (Ozark) as Mark, and Bradley Whitfield (West Wing, Get Out) as Wanda’s ex-husband Henry. There are numerous others too, including actor Paul Schulze who appeared with Falco in both The Sopranos and Nurse Jackie. This is the solid definition of an ensemble of really good actors.
It’s hard to find any real fault to I’ll Be Right There because it knows exactly what it wants to be and succeeds with major character arcs and some surprising developments for Wanda. All of it is well-directed and paced. Whether this ever becomes something more than a stand-alone film is doubtful. However, it is the kind of film that is worthy of a re-watch for its strong and familiar characters, well-written script, and strong performances.
I’ll Be Right There opens this week in theaters.
FILM: I’LL BE RIGHT THERE
DIRECTED BY: BRENDAN WALSH
STARRING: EDIE FALCO, JEANNIE BERLIN, KAYLI CARTER
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
I’ll Be Right There is the kind of film with a pretty obvious title that almost sounds like a bad television sitcom. It’s also true that this could make for the pilot of a series that, frankly, I’d be happy to watch. There’s an array of interesting characters here that would be great to follow for an extended period of time. Plus, there’s Edie Falco. She is a multiple Emmy winner for the series The Sopranos and Nurse Jackie. Here, she plays Wanda, a single parent with two adult children that are in need of her help whether they want it or not. Wanda also has a lively but ailing mother, an ex-husband with several toddlers, two romantic partners, and a career as a bookkeeper. How does she hold it all together?
The film was written by Jim Beggarty and directed by Brendan Walsh. The latter directed several episodes of Nurse Jackie which also boasted an interesting assortment of characters that Falco was centered around. That is certainly the case here which is why it’s not surprising that she dives into this part so seemingly effortlessly. The first several scenes of the film feature Wanda attempting to support her mother as she meets with a doctor about some potentially serious test results. She then has to comfort her emotional, eight-months pregnant daughter Sarah before racing to meet her son Mark for a joint therapy session. It’s clear that Wanda’s life seems to be focused on driving around to deal with one crisis after another. The big question others put to Wanda is what about her? What are her needs? What does she want?
The fact that the script was written by a man is pretty impressive for he captures so well the heart and spirit that a woman like Wanda has running through her veins. She’s a complete caretaker. It’s no wonder that Falco not only stars in the film but also serves as an Executive Producer (along with Jesse Eisenberg, who is not in the film.) It’s clear that Falco saw something in Wanda that she hasn’t really played before but that also doesn’t really exist in most stories about women. She’s frustrated yet content. She’s made choices that ultimately may or may not be good for her. She may not know it yet but she’s incredibly strong and more in control of her life than most people, including herself, think. These are certainly elements Falco has played before on television but Wanda is actually quite different than all of them, if one studies her characters closely. She’s not a victim of her own addictions like Jackie and she’s not trapped in a troubled marriage with a mob boss. With Wanda, she’s tough but vulnerable.
Of course, much of the credit has to be given to Falco who is the center of the entire film and has the much-envied skill of being able to beautifully bring together her comedic and dramatic chops to a role like this. There are a number of great dialogue scenes here that are simultaneously witty and dramatic. Falco balances both quite perfectly. She is also surrounded by a very strong cast including the great Jeannie Berlin (Succession) as her mother Grace, Kayli Carter (Mrs. America) as her daughter Sarah, Charlie Tahan (Ozark) as Mark, and Bradley Whitfield (West Wing, Get Out) as Wanda’s ex-husband Henry. There are numerous others too, including actor Paul Schulze who appeared with Falco in both The Sopranos and Nurse Jackie. This is the solid definition of an ensemble of really good actors.
It’s hard to find any real fault to I’ll Be Right There because it knows exactly what it wants to be and succeeds with major character arcs and some surprising developments for Wanda. All of it is well-directed and paced. Whether this ever becomes something more than a stand-alone film is doubtful. However, it is the kind of film that is worthy of a re-watch for its strong and familiar characters, well-written script, and strong performances.
I’ll Be Right There opens this week in theaters.