“Saturday Night” is a film that recaptures the chaotic events of the 90 minutes leading up to the 1975 premiere of Saturday Night Live, the late-night live comedy TV show that features a collection of popular comedians and actors like Jimmy Fallon, John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon and so many more. The show has gained significant recognition over its nearly five-decade run, successfully pulling in newer fans especially in the age of social media, and “Saturday Night” satirizes and immortalizes the making of legendary show. I got the chance to watch this film on a Saturday night. Feb. 8, and man, did I have a time! From beginning to end, the movie kept me excited and seriously stressed with its brilliant actors, excellent camera work and smart music choice; I absolutely loved it, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to be completely captivated for an hour and 49 minutes.
The film depicts numerous problems that arise as Lorne Michaels is trying to get his TV show to air. The set lights fall down during a sketch rehearsal, almost injuring some of the actors and causing the lighting director to quit. John Belushi — one of the main actors — leaves halfway through the night out of anger after causing fights on set. Neil Levy — Michaels’ assistant — gets very high and locks himself inside of a closet. The writers clash with censor Joan Carbuncle, whose extreme conservative ideals have her frowning at a lot of the script language. While all of this is happening, the studio executives have no faith that the show will be successful and see the show as a complete joke.
The movie never has a dull moment; the story constantly moves from one scene to the next, line to line, shot to shot. It is astounding how quick-witted and organic the dialogue felt throughout the whole story. All the actors did amazing work—their ability to bounce lines off each other and stay in character so well amid the fast pace of the film is admirable. It is obvious when watching the film that everyone did immense character work to take on these roles. They earnestly felt like a quirky group of 20-somethings trying to change the trajectory of television while facing new obstacles at every turn. The actors were what solidified the kooky stress-inducing environment of the movie.
LaBelle did a phenomenal job of conveying the emotions of Lorne Michaels, the man responsible for creating Saturday Night Live who must remain calm in the 90 minutes leading up to its premiere while dealing with problems every other minute. LaBelle had such good facial expressions; I loved seeing him slowly disassociate over time as the situation got worse.
Cory Michael Smith is similarly impeccable as Chevy Chase; his charisma in this role was very enticing. Lamorne Morris was incredible as Garrett Morris. His mannerisms and body language, especially with the cigarette kept constantly in his mouth, made him so believable as this character. Even the way he handled the cigarette was natural in a way that didn’t feel like he was holding a prop. One of the highlights of the film was Andrew Barth Feldman as Neil Levy; he had a way of making his eyes just the right amount of expressive that added to Neil’s naivete. When I watched this film, I thought that these are the kinds of performances that are studied in acting schools.
On top of that, the comedic timing was perfect. The characters were prancing around smoking, yelling at each other and trying not to get killed by broken set lights yet still had the time to be humorous. I loved the rapid rounds of dialogue being passed between the characters. Dylan O’Brien’s denim shorts, Cory Michael Smith’s charming yet rude persona and Nicholas Braun’s adorable awkwardness were just a few of my favorite funny bits.
“Saturday Night” was able to encompass stress, comedy and excitement all within basically one location through an insanely talented ensemble cast. I knew that whatever happened, everything was going to work out in the end because obviously Saturday Night Live is alive and kicking, yet the movie maintained an air of uncertainty especially with broken sets, actors and crew walking out and the antagonizing pressure from David Tebet.
One of the biggest elements making the film feel so high-tension was the music. The score had a consistent pattern: as the characters moved around the sets and the camera was following them, the music would build up and louden, increasing my anxiety as I waited for something new to go wrong. However, when the characters were just standing and talking to each other, the music would either quiet down or disappear altogether. Then as soon as they started walking, the tension would build up again — a cool way to help the audience understand the reality of their situation.
Beyond the narrative and character work, I was blown away by the camera work in this film. The opening shot alone was immaculate; the camera worked its way through the eighth floor of NBC Studios to introduce basically every character, peek into relationship dynamics and show off the different sets. The film’s fantastic editing felt continuous and chaotic at the same time. The crowded rooms and long hallways added to the almost claustrophobic feeling of being cramped with all of these people who are bustling around everywhere either trying to do their jobs or just messing around and smoking.
It was the combination of the incredibly dedicated actors, the directing choices and the fast-paced tension-building music that made “Saturday Night” such a joy to experience. The film managed to evoke both excitement and panic within me, while making me laugh the whole time. Anyone who watches this film is in for quite the ride.
2 Comments
Another W for Paula🔥
so good!!