'Poolman' Review: Chris Pine's god awful 'comedy' flick makes you question your humor
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Poolman', which hits the theatres on Friday, May 10, tells the story of a pool cleaner who fights corruption and wants to keep his city clean. Chris Pine who plays the protagonist Darren Barrenman is also the writer and director of this film.
The film also features actors Annette Bening, Stephen Tobolowsky, DeWanda Wise, John Ortiz, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Clancy Brown, and Danny DeVito in important roles.
'Poolman' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 11, 2023, and the premiere received extremely negative reviews with people even walking out of it.
Can Chris Pine's film find acceptance with the audience though upon its release? Here's our review of 'Poolman'.
Bad writing and unfunny jokes sink Chris Pine's 'Poolman'
Chris Pine had an idea that must have seemed funny in its conceptualization but should never have reached its execution stage. There are 'Chinatown' references in this film and quite frankly all they prove is that some classics should not be touched even if it is meant to be a parody.
'Poolman' never reaches a stage where the audience is invested in it by way of humor, mystery, or any other element. Every shot seems like it has been dragged to its limits and the concept itself has been done to death.
The last straw here is the dialogue. The conversations are straight-up unfunnily written and the way they have been performed and choreographed makes the funny scenes unbearable.
Caricaturish character sketching makes this film a snooze fest
Each character in 'Poolman' is over-the-top to the extent that they talk like cartoon characters in some scenes. The film never connects with the audience because the characters do not appear real.
The treatment of the film, at least in the makers' mind is absurdist but it never quite gives itself clarity and suffers from being stuck in the harrowing no man's land between reality and make-believe. It is a confused film that barely knows where it is going. Sadly, for the film, it went nowhere.
The performances add nothing to the film either and except for Stephen Tobolowsky, no actor makes any impression in the film.
Chris Pine's one-man-show fails to entertain or thrill
Chris Pine is a fine actor but this is a movie he would like to remove from his filmography. Unfortunately, he's not just an actor in the film but the film is a one-man show and he is writing, directing, and acting in the film. So he will have to bear the brunt of all the criticism that comes towards the film
The movie has elements of humor and mystery but none of those elements reach the audience who are left clueless not because of the suspense of the film but trying to wrap their heads around why this film was even made.
'Poolman' trailer
'Poolman' is all set to release on May 10, 2024
