Saturday Night

 

“And live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

Propulsive, frenetic and chaotic, Saturday Night is a fluid and irreverent eccentric experience that perfectly encapsulates the crazy counter-cultural catalyst that was/is SNL with a sharp script, slick ensemble and stunning camerawork which combine for cacophonous comedic effect in one of the most action-packed non-action films ever produced. 

Discussion Points:

It was never meant to work. It was set up to fail. And yet Saturday Night Live is now in its 50th season and has launched the careers of dozens of comedic household names. What started as a group of 20 something year old no-names, became a revolutionary counter-cultural force that changed television forever. And director/writer Jason Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan capture the chaos and channel the catalytic shock to deliver one of the most propulsive films in recent memory, with a healthy dose of nostalgia for a show that had left such a sizeable cultural footprint. As the tagline states: the writers are stoned, the set is on fire, the actors are physically assaulting each other, the crew is open revolt, and they have 90 minutes to figure it all out or the network is pulling the plug. It’s chaos and yet the camera somehow weaves amidst the action and arguments and adrenaline rushes and never loses focus of its core: the ambitious, naively arrogant, underdog Lorne Michaels. Played with increasing exasperation by Gabriel LaBelle, it’s truly remarkable to see it all come together by the close under his passionate driven stubborn hope. The rest of the ensemble are along for the ride, with a healthy mixture of imitations, impressions, expressions and evocations that balance each other out - some cast are uncanny visual/vocal doppelgängers, whilst others evoke a characterisation that feels familiar yet unique. The snappy jazzy score, fluid camerawork, and expert use of countdown clock intervals further amplify the frenetic frenzy that was the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live!