Moving On Review: A Tonally Confused Comedy
A comedy film that premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival is arriving in theaters. Paul Weitz’s new movie stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as two estranged former friends who reunite and conspire to murder their dead friend’s husband for revenge over an incident decades prior. While it’s fun to see another collaboration between Fonda and Tomlin after , , and earlier this year in , this is a weaker outing as this is a tonally confused movie that does not seem to know what it’s doing.
The Hollywood studio comedy is dying. Comedy films like can sometimes go straight to Netflix without funny humor, while others like are good while relying too much on the heartwarmth. Even a film like can be funny without meeting its full potential. Movies like and are heavily anticipated now because if is the state of comedy cinema, we’re not in the best place. The film opens with a funeral where Claire (Fonda) approaches the husband of the departed and reveals she will kill him.
Although the premise is simple and the movie only clocks in at 85 minutes, this movie somehow manages to be boring. This film is a strange hodgepodge of a lighthearted comedy and a dark drama about a murder quest. The movie has the color grading and performances of a comedy film, but tackling this premise humorously is almost impossible. It’s about two people trying to kill a person, which could be hilarious, but many decisions in the execution of this concept prevent the film from being a genuinely enjoyable viewing experience.
Firstly, features Claire, who has a clear goal and must accomplish a few side quests that get her closer to her destination. However, the side quests feel disconnected from her main story, and none are funny.
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