|
|
|
|
|
Just over two years ago, the COVID pandemic shut down schools, workplaces, and movie theaters. And as the days dragged on, Hollywood wondered how to move forward. In the pandemic mockumentary The Bubble, Judd Apatow explores how the changes and restrictions wreaked havoc on film shoots.
The Bubble travels to a posh hotel in England, where a group of actors have agreed to live and work together for three months during the pandemic while filming Cliff Beasts 6. After surviving the required 14 days of quarantine, they’re eager to get to work—but it isn’t long before rivalries, strained relationships, and a variety of the typical on-set squabbles combine with the stress of being stuck with this small group of people to cause all kinds of chaos. And the producer and his team find themselves losing control of the shoot.
As three months turns into four and the cast members struggle with sickness and isolation on top of the usual on-set stresses, the shoot gets wilder and crazier. After all, when a bunch of self-centered actors are forced to live and work together, it’s unlikely to go well. The producer and director face pressure from the studio and from the cast, who are not-so-gradually losing their minds. And after one of the actors makes a run for it, the studio beefs up security measures to ridiculous levels. Thanks to those added COVID complications, The Bubble definitely takes the stereotypical behind-the-scenes comedy to new places with its mix of big personalities, creative differences, TikTok dance numbers, and pandemic fears. And, with help from a cast that seems perfectly suited to play crazy, conceited, and out of control, that makes for some unique comic possibilities.
The one problem that’s all too common with Apatow’s films, though, is that he just doesn’t seem capable of editing himself. He has some great ideas, but instead of running with his best ideas and trimming out the rest, he keeps everything. That makes for a comedy that’s much, much longer than it should be. By the 90-minute mark, it’s already overstayed its welcome—so by the time it ends (over 30 minutes later), its silly Hollywood comedy doesn’t feel quite as amusing anymore.
It’s clear that the cast of The Bubble had fun playing a bunch of conceited over-actors. And had the finished product been about 30 minutes shorter, audiences may have had a lot of fun watching it. Instead, it’s a campy Hollywood mockumentary that just doesn’t know when to call it quits.
Viewers can stream The Bubble on Netflix starting on April 1, 2022.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
|
|
|
|
