Palm Springs review

Palm Springs

Andy Sambergs reign as a comic genius continues. This man has continuously churned out hilarious movies and shows over the years. Hot Rod (2007) is just a fun and silly movie. That’s My Boy (2012) is the last good Adam Sandler comedy he made. Tour De Pharmacy is underrated and unknown absolute tour de force in comedy. Brooklyn Nine Nine is one of the funniest shows of all time. His time on SNL was great and the same goes for anything Lonely Island does. Enough about my apparent man crush on Andy Smaberg and lets get into this movie.

This movie falls right in line with the rest of those gems. Usually I hate Rom-Coms but this one is truly great. It has the stupid cliche parts that all Rom-Coms have but it has enough parts that are geniunly hilarious. There is solid chemistry between Samberg, Cristin Milioti and J.K. Simmons. All three kill it in this film. This may have all the sappy parts that most romances have but for some reason they all work in this movie. I highly recommend that everyone watches this movie. 9/10

I think that this film takes Samberg into territory that's deeper than "overgrown child", which is where a lot of comedians (and especially male comedians) can get stranded. It's similar to the shift that his character has had on Brooklyn-99 and I hope that his work continues in this direction.

It's a romantic comedy, yes, but it's also about the two individuals who make up that couple and them working through some separate, non-romance issues that they have in their lives. In fact, I really love how the two characters take such an opposite approach to the idea of a time-loop:

And as a corollary, I'll also mention the criminally underseen Popstar: Keep On Keepin' On.

Good movie, lotta fun. Moderately satisfying exploration of the loop (which is usually the most tantalizing thing about a high-concept film like this), but to whatever degree it skimps there, it makes up for it with some genuinely funny moments. Definitely recommended, doesn't overstay its welcome, good performances all around.

Call me an idiot, but what was the deal with Roy? Can I read about it somewhere? Why did he even hate Nyles so much? That totally went over my head.

It was just because Nyles was the one who got Roy caught in the time loop. It was a cool, fun idea when they were faded, but Roy obviously didn't intend to be stuck in there with Nyles for eternity.

Liked this movie a lot...it reminded me of Groundhog Day, but it had a couple of layers that the Harold Ramis comedy didn't

According to Roger Ebert, "When you find yourself needing the phrase This is like Groundhog Day to explain how you feel, a movie has accomplished something." And when you need the phrase 'this is like Groundhog Day with the hunter from Jumanji and the cave from Dark,' you know a movie has achieved nothing new, different, or original. I can assure you that 30 years from now no one is going to use the phrase “this is like Palm Springs” unless it is to describe a generic, derivative, and uninspired piece of trash.

Then again, even an otherwise good film is doomed when we wouldn’t be caught dead spending five minutes, let alone an infinite time loop, in the company of its leads. With some actors, 'less' is more; with Andy Samberg 'nothing' is better. Moreover, you know you’re in trouble when your female protagonist reminds you of Aubrey Plaza, only more annoying.

Some of the best moments in Groundhog Day revolve around the tension, sexual and otherwise, between Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. No such friction can be found in Palm Springs, whose main characters are too similar to challenge one another, and too base to deny themselves to the other; Sarah (Cristin Milioti) beds Nyles (Samberg) halfway through the movie, and in fact would have done it at the beginning had they not been interrupted by J.K. 'Van Pelt' Simmons.

The film teases a glimpse of humanity when the possibility is suggested that generating good karma might be the way back to the characters’ original, linear timeline; this notion is soon dismissed as abruptly as it is introduced, presumably because it would involve the cynical Nyles and Sarah learning and improving.

As it turns out, the whole time loop thing is just lazy writing (I know, shocking); a gimmick that has no bearing on the plot, such as it is, because even if time does resume its march, the protagonists will remain forever trapped in their nihilistic adolescent fantasy — in other, better words, "The wretch, concentred all in self, living, shall forfeit fair renown, and, doubly dying, shall go down to the vile dust from whence he sprung, unwept, unhonour'd, and unsung."