Los Angeles is often the setting of Hollywood hopefuls trying to make it big in the film industry. “In a World…,” Lake Bell’s comedic first feature film, breaks away from this mold to show the viciously competitive, male-dominated world of voice-over acting, which is apparently a big deal.
Bell (“Childrens Hospital,” “No Strings Attached”) plays Carol, a vocal coach who’s trying to break into the industry as a voice-over actress. The daughter of Sam Sotto (Fred Melamed), one of the industry’s greats, Carol finds herself living in the shadows of her father and other male competitors (namely one Gustav, played by Ken Marino).
Carol lands a few voicing gigs she hopes will push her above the competition, but things go south when all three players become each other’s competition. The film follows them as they vie for the coveted slot as the voice for a new movie trailer that promises to bring back the infamous line “In a world” in the wake of real life voice-over legend Don LaFontaine’s death.
While “In A World…” often struggles to finish everything it started, it is a solid success, poking fun while providing a deeper look into an often overlooked industry.
Bell wrote, directed and starred in the film, earning her the commendation of being a triple-threat. She gives Carol just the right amount of snarky comebacks and emotional vulnerability to make the audience actually feel for a character in a situation few may know enough about to care.
Also noteworthy is Rob Corddry’s performance as Moe, Carol’s brother-in-law, who struggles with a troubled marriage to her sister Dani (Michaela Watkins). Corddry (of “Childrens Hospital” fame) makes for a convincingly vulnerable and sensitive “nice guy,” which is a refreshing change from his usual, less-refined comedic roles.
Melamed comes in a close second as Carol’s unsupportive and sexist, yet well-intentioned father. Melamed lends him believable emotional depth as he struggles to overcome his loss of power in the industry and learns to support his family.
The rest of Bell’s cast is rounded out by a troupe of comedy greats (many fellow “Childrens Hospital” actors among them) and a few celebrity cameos. Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”), Demetri Martin and Tig Notaro (“The Sarah Silverman Program”), who play recording studio employees, provide an outlet for punchy one-liners and comedic relief when necessary.
Marino’s (“Role Models”) performance as bad boy Gustav, the current star of the voice-over world, is classic. Marino carries himself as the oddly likeable jerk in a way that fans of his previous, similar characters can still appreciate.
Bell’s script is sharp, rounding out most of the characters and pumping out non-stop jokes. Highlights include Los Angeles’ problem of “sexy baby” voices (think squeaky-voiced women who always seem to end their sentences in a question) and the establishment of the children’s romantic comedy as a legitimate film genre.
The film gives nuances toward themes of equality and feminism (the trailer Carol is hoping to voice over is for “The Amazon Games”) without making the message too corny or stretching it to the point of cliche.
Some subplots, though, fall short. Marital problems between Dani and Moe add more emotional depth to the characters, but feel a bit out of place in a film largely centered on Carol’s struggles. A romantic story line involving Carol and recording studio employee Louis (played by Martin) seems a bit rushed, undeveloped and perhaps even unnecessary. The film’s end feels oddly incomplete and may leave some viewers wondering what lies in store for Carol in many aspects of her life.
Though some loose ends are left untied, “In a World…” is a solid feature debut for Bell. Well-developed characters, a good script and deep messages prove good things happen when this actress wears multiple hats.