It’s comforting to see a supporting actress become the focal point of a production. The only tripping point is how the director goes about pointing the camera at them. In some cases it can be a completely positive and uplifting experience, but in others it can be a fumbling case that might provide a very lackluster attempt at transitioning a supporting character into a starring role. Fans and viewers have been waiting for actress Jessica Williams to finally step into the spotlight, and for this one moment she is firmly in center stage where so many people have wanted to see her. So why aren’t a lot of people feeling that confident that she can lead the rest of 2017 in a rom-com parade that could revolutionize the genre?
Here are a few reasons why it might seem to fall flat, with a few kind words thrown in just to balance it out.
It has a very rushed feeling.
The director, James Strouse, seems to employ a very rushed feeling in the film that doesn’t exactly allow the audience to get to know Jessica very well and keeps a pace that is just short of a sprint as the movie goes forward full tilt. There are glimpses here and there that might seem like developmental moments but otherwise it looks to proceed with a breakneck pace that doesn’t allow for a whole lot of in depth character explanation or the why of Jessica’s life and determination. It might mirror the pace of the city she lives in and the manner in which she displays herself, but it’s kind of hard to follow.
She seems to be craving attention rather than moving through the film at a leading pace.
Now don’t get me wrong, the “look at me, all eyes on me” attitude is what drives movies at times and can really place the attention on the star of the show. Jessica has earned this spot, but in the trailer thus far she more resembles a childish attitude of “I’m important and everyone else is secondary”, which isn’t entirely off-putting but kind of makes a person think that she’s not so much leading the story as she is just striding ahead and expecting everyone to follow. That’s not entirely Jessica’s fault, as it takes a great director to rein their actors in and let them know just what kind of pace is desired. As of now with just watching the trailer there seems to be a kind of disconnect between how the film should go and how it IS going. But that’s from watching a trailer, the movie could be very different when watched all the way through.
So far the character arc isn’t that believable.
She’s supposed to care about theater and being a playwright, but there isn’t much shown about her sending out manuscripts or talking to others concerning her work. This usually marks someone as all flash and no substance, which is the opposite of what you want to present when speaking to people about your work. Right now her development seems only halfway done, which is better than nothing at all, but it could use some work.
It might not be the rom-com to save the genre in 2017, but The Incredible Jessica James is very much a work in progress that might need another trip to the drawing board.
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