Andy Samberg's PALM SPRINGS Offers a Different Take on the GROUNDHOG DAY Concept - Sundance Review
Palm Springs is the big movie at the Sundance Film Festival. It’s the one that everyone is talking about, and it sold to Amazon for over $17.5 million dollars. It now holds the record for the most money a film has ever been sold for at Sundance.
I obviously had to see it to see what the big deal is and if it lives up to the hype that I’ve been hearing. I liked the movie and thought it was a very funny film, but it basically takes the concept of Bill Murray’s classic movie Groundhog Day and wraps it in a new story with a different, unique spin.
Andy Samberg plays a character named Nyles who is stuck in a time loop in Palm Springs where he relives the day of his girlfriend’s best friend’s wedding. He meets the bride’s sister, Sarah (Cristin Milioti), at the wedding.and after a night of fun with her she ends up following him into a strange cave that causes the time loop and she gets stuck in the time loop with Nyles.
As you might imagine she’s pissed off at first, but then the two start to form a relationship for better or worse. They end up filling their time in this one day to cause hijinks and do all kinds of crazy, stupid things. There’s also another person stuck in the time loop. This character is played by J.K. Simmons, and he is out to hunt down Nyles for bringing him to the cave and torture him. They can die, but they just wake up to live the day over again. But, they can go through lots of pain before they die.
Adam Sanberg and Cristin Milioti both give fantastic and fun performances. They are what make the movie worth watching. But, as far as the concept goes, Groundhog Day did it better, and it was a much smarter film.
I can see why the movie got picked up, but I don’t think it was worth the price that Amazon paid for it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the film, and it had some fantastically funny moments that audiences will enjoy and get a laugh at. If you’re a fan of Sandberg, you’re probably going to love it.
Here’s the synopsis for the film:
Stuck in Palm Springs for her younger sister Tala’s destination wedding, family black sheep and reluctant maid of honor Sarah meets carefree Nyles, the date of a vapid bridesmaid. After Nyles bails Sarah out of giving a wedding toast, she quickly realizes that he is actually not a sentimental fool at all and feels drawn to his offbeat nihilism. After their impromptu tryst is thwarted by a surreal, unexpected interruption, Sarah joins Nyles in embracing the idea that nothing really matters, and they begin wreaking spirited havoc on the wedding celebration.
Director Max Barbakow’s ambitious and playful dramatic feature debut, Palm Springs is a lighthearted romp peppered with thoughtful realizations about the nature of love and loneliness. Cristin Milioti gives a winsome and soulful performance as Sarah, matching Andy Samberg’s impressive comedic chops as the jaded Nyles step for step. A terrific ensemble cast, including Peter Gallagher and Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons alongside rising stars Camila Mendes and Meredith Hagner, deliver memorable supporting turns as the colorful guests at the seemingly endless wedding.
