I Used to Be Funny

The next movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was I Used to be Funny and, as a big fan of Rachel Sennott, it was really interesting to see her in a more serious role.  Sam (Sennott) was once a stand-up comedian known for her provocative jokes about men and her sex life as well as a nanny for a man named Cameron (Jason Jones) and his 12-year-old daughter Brooke (Olga Petsa).  Now Sam is suffering from PTSD as a result of an assault and is no longer able to perform at the comedy club or do much of anything else.  She is further traumatized when Brooke lashes out at her and then goes missing.  The narrative alternates between the present, as Sam tries to work through her trauma while searching for Brooke, and the past, when she formed a close relationship with her, and this is an effective technique because I was very invested in the mystery (which is very slowly revealed) of what happened to derail both of their lives.  There is a very thought-provoking discussion about consent when Sam's material is used against her but I loved that she ultimately finds healing in her humor.  I also liked the exploration of how one person's trauma has a ripple effect on everyone around them, allowing for some poignant scenes between Sam and her roommates Paige (Sabrina Jalees) and Phillip (Caleb Hearon) and her ex-boyfriend Noah (Ennis Esmer).  Sennott gives an amazing performance because she is essentially playing two different versions of the same character (you immediately know which timeline you are in simply by the subtle changes in expression on Sam's face) and she straddles the line between comedy and tragedy very well.  I loved the soundtrack, which features lots of indie sad girl songs (two songs by Phoebe Bridgers), and all of the locations in Toronto and Niagara Falls (where I grew up).  I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to fans of Sennott.