Summer of Netflix Day 56 - In A World...

Joel: I know it’s not on the Summer of Netflix lineup, but if you get a chance, this movie would make a great double feature with the documentary I Know That Voice, also available on Netflix. Voiceover is a strange thing. It’s almost everywhere. We know about it in movie trailers, but it’s in almost every commercial you see. It’s on the news, or “how to” videos. When you pull a string on a toy and it says something, somebody has to record those lines. The movie is a great way to kind of explore that world, and see how the whole thing in some ways is an industry all to itself. There are several small roles from actors who give very strong performances and craft a nice little story about struggling to get ahead in an established, male dominated industry. The movie was apparently directed by and written by Lake Bell in addition to her starring in it. It’s a really strong feature debut for her. It’s the kind of movie that I would want to see someday, but it’s always so easy to put off until later, so I’m glad that I actually had to sit down and watch this one. It was worth the time.

Chris: This movie actually made me kind of miss the trailers with voiceover narration because unless it’s done in a comedic way, it’s rarely ever used in earnest. I enjoyed In a World because it’s one of those movies where at first, you’re laughing at the idea that so many people care so much about something that seems so insignificant but at the movie progresses, you find yourself caring about the same thing and hoping that the right person gets the voiceover job. It also brings up a weird moral question that I find myself asking sometimes and that’s whether or not large companies make changes to suit the social climate because it’s the right thing to do or simply because it’ll make them look good from a PR standpoint. And also, should we as a society even care what their intentions are as long as they’re changing with society?

Your Viewing Homework for Tomorrow: Short Term 12