SPIN ME ROUND
Alison Brie is Amber, a manager of an Olive Garden-Esque restaurant chosen to attend an elite training week at the Italian villa of the company’s founder. Hoping to find love and epic adventure, she joins a rather eclectic group of folks. But the trip isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when the idea of romance turns into some no one saw coming.
This insanely talented ensemble gets thrown into a blender of bizarre. Writer-director Jeff Baena co-writes with Brie. I cannot figure out if Spin Me Round means to be a modern take on Office Space or just a misstep into empowerment. It all feels rather icky whenever Nick (Alessandro Nivola) comes on screen. With an abundance of genuinely hilarious dynamics between cast members, those moments often become overshadowed by inconsistent storytelling, leaving you cringing.
Molly Shannon is Deb, and she is perfectly Molly Shannon. Her unpredictability makes her one of the highlights of the entire film. Zach Woods brings a fantastic arc to the character of Dana. He transforms from fanboy to puppy love to man on a mission and effortlessly captivates. Ben Sinclair lands somewhere between villainous sidekick and smarmy eccentric, and I loved it. Tim Heidecker, Ayden Mayeri, and Fred Armisen provide plenty of memorable moments.
Aubrey Plaza makes every film she appears in exponentially better. She is the most intriguing character in this film. You cannot ignore the comparisons to Ghislaine Maxwell, whether intentional or not. I want to see an entire movie on her backstory. Alison Brie is wonderful in everything. Her performance as Amber is no exception. She possesses simultaneous versatility and familiarity for audiences. Ultimately, the cast prevents Spin Me Round from leaving a bad taste in your mouth. Show up for the acting, and you can’t go wrong.
IN THEATERS, ON-DEMAND, AND STREAMING ON AMC+
August 19, 2022
SPIN ME ROUND, stars Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Molly Shannon, Zach Woods, Ayden Mayeri, Ben Sinclair, Tim Heidecker, Debby Ryan, and Lil Rey Howery.
The series centers on Michael Kenneth Williams as Rock Banyon, who becomes the prime suspect in the double murder of his occasional lover Fresno Foxglove (Maya Rudolph) who is found dead with another man. Panicked, Rock splits for Mexico where he reunites with his one-time big band singer Delores DeWinter (Kristen Wiig). With 72 hours to clear his name or fry in the electric chair, Rock and Delores embark on a dangerous quest for the truth that takes them into an abyss of sex, drugs, betrayal, and of course, jazz. While his world crumbles, Rock’s hard-charging manager Alistair St. Barnaby (Haley Joel Osment) pressures him to record a mainstream jazz album.
Funny Or Die can pretty much do no wrong in my opinion. Following up on the 2014 The Spoils of Babylon, The Spoils Before Dying is another total win. If you haven’t seen the first season in IFC, imagine a Sin City narrative combined with the Rodriguez/Tarantino Grindhouse schlock and add in the compressed timing of an SNL Digital Short (sort of, each episode is 30 minutes). Tough in our age of binge-watching, you can happily run through the entire series in the time it would take you to watch any other film, half as fun. The mock commercials stuck into the episodes are as completely tongue-in-cheek as the rest of the production. 
The performances are off the rails hilarious. Will Ferrell reprising his role as Eric Jonrosh is pure insanity. His oftentimes linear thinking combined with overindulgence and narcissism is pitch perfect. Michael Kenneth Williams is a breath of fresh air as he takes on his role with (almost) complete seriousness. We all knew Maya Rudolf has a set of pipes on her, but I had no idea that Kristen Wiig can sing. And when I say sing, I really mean SAAAANNNNNGGGG. The songs are unapologetically ridiculous AND maintain gorgeous melodies. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Haley Joel Osment, who steals each scene he appears in with total commitment and one over-the-top accent. With appearances by Tim Robbins, Kate McKinnon, Molly Shannon, Michael Sheen, Chris Parnell, Tim Meadows, to name a few, you simply cannot go wrong with this series. The Spoils Before Dying is now available in DVD. Check out the trailer below!
You must be logged in to post a comment.