It’s pretty apparent for people who have followed me for a while that i’m a huge fan of Rachel Sennott. I absolutely loved Shiva Baby and Bodies Bodies Bodies to the point that if she’s attached to a project, I’ll probably give it a chance. This film specifically peaked my interest when a friend of mine Hussain (who’s also a film reviewer) checked out both Rachel Sennott films at South by Southwest this year and spoke highly of them, specifically this one. When I saw that it was playing at Inside Out this year with no public plans of future distribution, I knew I had to take the chance and see it. This film is the first film that i’ve ever seen at Inside Out and it was probably a great one to start with. Similar to WEIRD: The Al Yankovic being my first TIFF film ever, I Used To Be Funny seemed like the perfect start to what will become a long tradition of visiting this festival.
Before I get into what I thought of the film, I should break down what it is. The film follows Sam, played by Rachel Sennott, who is a comedian who’s currently struggling from PTSD from an unspecified incident. She finds out that a girl that she use to babysit has gone missing, leading her to fall into a deep internal conflict on whether or not she should help the family on their search. The film is non linear and it gives you everything with a nice pace that ends with you figuring out exactly why she has troubles with the family in question.
The thing that sold me on the film in the first place was that it was shot in Toronto by a Canadian filmmaker. The first still that was ever released was a shot of Rachel standing in front of a very prominent comedy club here in Toronto. I’m happy to report that this is the most “Toronto Core” film since Scott Pilgrim or The F Word. There’s moments and lines of dialogue that are so representative of Toronto. There’s a special scene where we see Rachel’s character sitting in a book store that happens to be my favourite BMV location. BMV is a used book store and this specific location that has a massive basement filled with used movies, vinyls and television shows, that’s definitely the reason why I love that location so much. It was fun to look at some of the scenes and see what I recognized. Especially looking at the establishing shots, I was always looking for my apartment building and in one I was able to see it.
The film itself is a very strong one. It definitely benefits from being told in a non linear structure. The story is drip fed to you and you are given every piece of information at the exact time that it’s necessary. The film is quite funny, but it also is super raw and relatable in many ways. The idea of being a young artist in the big city and struggling to make it. As someone who is an artist in this specific city and has been thinking of jumping into the world of standup comedy recently, these elements definitely hit home. The discussion on mental illness and how it affects a person and the people around them is done realistically and honestly as well. There was a specific scene where she gets into a fight with her friends that felt like a carbon copy of fights that i’ve had with family and friends over the years. This film also treads into some triggering territory but does it super well. I don’t wanna say what it is because it spoils the whole reason why her character is conflicted, but it is done with such respect and honesty that it ended up being a huge plus for me when looking at this film.
The one thing I know everyone wants me to discuss is Rachel Sennott and how she is in the film. This might be her career best at this moment. The performance is honest and dramatic, but it also balances a nice amount of comedy as she is playing a comedian. She gets to shine in both the comedic and dramatic realms and she does it quite well. With the fantastic writing and directing from Ally Pankiw, Rachel is given enough room to work with the material and she proves with this film that she has the ability to shine in any type of role. This film also gets me excited to see what Ally is up to next as a writer and a director. The next thing up for her is a Black Mirror episode in the upcoming season and I’m interested to see what she will bring to the excellent yet fucked up world of Black Mirror.
This film also has a soundtrack that really works. Specifically the last song that is played mashes to well with the final scene. All I will say is that it involves Phoebe Bridgers and Niagara Falls. I have been thinking of that moment since.
As a film to showcase what excellent work can come out of Canada, it succeeds. As a film to showcase the comedic and dramatic acting chops of Rachel Sennott, it succeeds and gets me excited for her future. As a film showcasing Ally Pankiw’s sensibilities as a filmmaker, it succeeds and makes me excited for what she’s doing next. As a showcase of the future of queer cinema, it succeeds and has me super excited for the future. I Used To Be Funny works perfectly on so many levels and showcases the talents of so many people who are involved. I’m unsure fully of the release plans of this film, but when it fully is released, everyone should check it out. A fantastic showcase of Canadian excellence, Ally Pankiw’s excellence, Queer cinema excellence and Rachel Sennott’s excellence!
The Score
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