Several years ago, there was some buzz about Chris Pine making his directorial debut when news got wind of the synopsis of Poolman. The premise sounded similar to Chinatown and The Big Lebowski, and with a stacked A-list cast that includes three Oscar nominees (Annette Bening, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Danny DeVito), surely that means the film has a good script if such high caliber talent signed up. Below is the actual synopsis of the upcoming film:
Poolman tells the story of Darren Barrenman (Chris Pine), a native Los Angeleno who spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block and fighting to make his hometown a better place to live. When he is tasked by a femme fatale to uncover the truth behind a shady business deal, Darren enlists the help of his friends to take on a corrupt politician and a greedy land developer. His investigation reveals a hidden truth about his beloved city and himself.
Unfortunately, Chris Pine’s debut film hasn’t received the positive reception that many hoped it would. The film currently sports a low 23% on rotten tomatoes after making its rounds on the festival circuit. Based on the recent trailer, it appears that critics were right as Poolman doesn’t look like a good film.
The Humor Feels Forced
I’ve yet to see the actual film, so naturally, I can’t make my entire judgment based on a two-minute trailer. However, the purpose of a trailer is to tell audiences why they should purchase a ticket for said movie. A good movie can have a bad trailer. One noticeable thing about Poolman (in the trailer) is that the humor felt forced throughout. That trailer starts off trying to be quirky and clever; it’s great that Poolman establishes from the beginning that the comedy is a big part of the film’s identity, but then it becomes groan-inducing and awkward as the trailer continues.
The narrative doesn’t add much beyond blatant exposition. Even that hinders the trailer more than helps. Pine’s character states his love for Los Angeles and his fight to make it a better place. But the trailer never really establishes the ongoing issue with Los Angeles. In fact, Darren’s job has nothing to do with the overlying plot of him being recruited by June Del Rey in her discovery of corruption that’s vastly hampering the city of LA.
The Humor Negates The Seriousness Of The Plot
It’s understandable why Pine would want to hide some of the finer details of his plot because his film is part mystery, but the trailer spends more time being quirky by highlighting his mundane life and how Poolman is completely unfit to be taken seriously as someone who can stop big-time corruption in LA. Plus, the tail end of the trailer shows a silly montage of scenes that continue to show its quirkiness. This doesn’t help SELL the mystery angle and negates the seriousness of that premise.
Films like Knives Out, Clue, or Who Framed Roger Rabbit, are known for their humor, but that humor is a central piece to the plot. Exactly what does an iguana have to do with the Poolman’s fight to save LA? Why is it necessary to introduce Diane and Jack when neither of them seemingly has any presence beyond minor side characters? The mystery takes a major backseat in Poolman, whereas the movies listed above let the audience in on the central conflict. The humor is circled around the main conflict of each film. If the mystery isn’t taken seriously, then why should the audience care about it in the first place?
The Plot Comes Across As A Confusing Mess
There’s the corruption behind the city council. A talking tree that reveals details about Darren’s past. Poolman’s attempt at being a Hollywood screenwriter. There are so many ideas tossed into the trailer that Poolman comes across as a confusing mess. The trailer should work without the exposition dump. We know that Poolman is fighting for a better tomorrow, but why is this dim-witted character the one chosen for such a high-risk mission?
Again, for a mystery film, it’s understandable why most of the plot is hidden, but when the trailer throws out random images and ideas that don’t support the overall conflict of the film then it’s lost true meaning. It’s quite possible that Poolman is a misunderstood classic and will turn out to be something great when it gets its wide release. Critics aren’t always right, but based on the trailer, it seems that the critics have the correct assessment of Poolman.
Follow Us
