Pros: Great on-screen duo of Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti; a small but important role by J.K. Simmons; a modern take on the story told in Groundhog Day; good humor; pleasant aftertaste Cons: There are very few really new ideas in the film Palm Springs / “Palm Springs”
Genre fantasy romantic comedy
Directed by Max Barbakov
Cast: Andy Samberg (Niles), Cristin Milioti (Sara), J.K. Simmons (Roy), Meredith Hagner (Misty), Camila Mendes (Tala), Tyler Hoechlin (Abe), Peter Gallagher (Howard Wilder), Chris Pang (Trevor), Dale Dickey (Darla), etc.
Студии Hulu, Neon, Limelight Productions, Lonely Island Classics
Year of release 2020
Site IMDb
It’s hard to believe, but 27 years have passed since the release of the brilliant Groundhog Day / Groundhog Day. The comedy by Harold Ramis was filmed in a different historical era and is perceived by a new generation of viewers as a kind of relic of the Paleozoic era – undoubtedly funny, but already a little archaic. This is probably why so many films have been made lately that play with the idea of a classic time loop – Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Day, Before I Fall, ARQ, Naked, Russian Doll… And this is just what immediately came to mind, in fact in fact the list is much longer. But none of these films can be called a full-fledged replacement for Groundhog Day, because they are anything but romantic comedies.
But Palm Springs – yes. Moreover, the picture is even built according to the same patterns as “Groundhog Day.” The main character finds himself on a holiday that is uninteresting to him in some remote place and finds himself locked in one day of his life repeating over and over again. And he will be able to get out of the trap only when he finds a girl who will change his life. However, not everything is so simple. The main character of the film, Niles (Andy Samberg), was not alone in the endless wedding of Tala and Abe; more precisely, due to his carelessness, he also dragged Sarah (Cristin Milioti) into the cycle, who now hates him, because her half-sister’s wedding day is Not a day Sarah can be proud of. Moreover, as it turned out, another person (J.K. Simmons) is stuck in the time loop, who also does not have warm feelings for Niles and every new/old day looks for a variety of sophisticated ways to kill the young man. Again and again.
The presence of three people in a time loop at once changes the usual concept of Groundhog Day, but the main difference between Palm Springs is still different. This is a modern film, the dynamics of relationships between people, habits and mores, the general background here is completely different. Yes, as in “Groundhog Day,” for some time the heroes will look for various ways to have fun or die in order to restart the cycle, but, unlike Bill Murray’s character, who is generally quite indifferent to the trap in which he fell, they, more precisely , one of them, is also actively looking for ways to break the loop. Moreover, a simple passive method – becoming a good person, correcting injustice and confessing your love to a girl you care about – does not work here. To get out, you will have to spend a lot of time and work with your head. Well, risking your life and prosperous predestination, which is not so easy for the almost immortal prisoners of the loop.
However, first and foremost, Palm Springs is a romantic comedy. This means that there are complex relationships here that will begin as a joke, continue with some serious moral crisis and end, undoubtedly, with a happy ending. Actually, the middle part of the film, where both heroes are going through a difficult period of their… day, may seem somewhat drawn out and far-fetched to the audience, but without it there would be no ending, and the plot would have turned out to be too one-dimensional and uninteresting.
The second component of the success of a romantic comedy is the on-screen couple. And although Niles and Sarah seem to be completely different and completely inappropriate people for each other, Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, who are not actors at all, managed to perfectly show the dynamics of the relationship between the characters. Another big plus of the film is the participation of J.K. Simmons. And although he has a minor role here, it is important for the plot, in addition, the appearance of this actor in the frame is always pleasing.
If you wish, Palm Springs can be called an informal remake of Groundhog Day. I’m not at all sure that you will review this film every few years (although there are certainly plenty of Easter eggs in it), but as an alternative and temporary replacement for a comedy with Bill Murray, it is quite suitable. There is good humor here (it traditionally sounds better in the original language), nice actors and an all-conquering happy ending. In addition, Palm Springs, like Groundhog Day, leaves behind a very pleasant aftertaste that lasts for several days. And is it important.
Conclusion:
This modernized version of Groundhog Day looks really good
