MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Lawrence Michael Levine
Motives are mounting and blackmail abounds in writer/director Lawrence Michael Levine’s latest film, Wild Canaries, a modern update of the classic murder mystery that marries romantic entanglements and relationship drama along with the tension from anticipating the twists and turns of standard whodunit involving amateur sleuths.
There’s a mystery afoot within the confines of Noah and Barri’s (Lawrence Michael Levine and Sophia Takal, respectively) apartment building as their eighty-something year old neighbor, Sylvia (Marylouise Burke), downstairs was discovered dead. At least there’s a mystery in Barri’s mind, not so much in Noah’s. Encouraged by her roommate/best friend, Jean (Alia Shawkat), and the recent Hitchcock retrospective Barri enthusiastically heads up the makeshift investigation, which mostly consists of her breaking into people’s apartments.
An obvious modern update, but with a clever twist, that Levine incorporates into the film is the use (and supposed aid) of smartphones; one would assume that the boundless functions would come in handy throughout an improvised investigation (and they would), except for Noah and his far-reaching ineptitude (he cannot even answer a call) which Levine utilizes to great comedic effect. There’s a number of running jokes sprinkled throughout dialogue heavy on conspiracy theory constructing and domestic bickering, most (if not all) of which is delivered rapid-fire.
Although loaded with sight gags and goofball style comedy, with its cartoonish presentation of madcap antics, Wild Canaries does a brilliant job of mixing in the whip smart and the irreverent within the overall high-energy silliness. Everyone involved brings their own brand of comedy to the table, although Levine’s highly physical comedy is what drives the film. A perfect blend of quick-witted exasperation and old-fashioned slapstick, surprisingly getting high comedy mileage out of neck brace posture alone.
The main reason Wild Canaries works as well as it does is due, in large part, to the chemistry on display in each and every scene. Of course, Levine and Takal exude chemistry when sharing the screen given their real-life status as husband and wife, but also the chemistry displayed by the entirety of the ensemble (along with Levine’s lively screenplay) is what makes Wild Canaries such an entertaining experience. With performances this strong, across the board, it makes no matter as to who is sharing a scene at any moment as the film drifts from various team-ups; from Levine and Takal arguing about support or art history to Takal and Shawkat discussing their slapdash tailing tactics, all on-screen interactions are highly enjoyable.
