Yes, And...I'll Raise You a "Deep Cover"

The feeling person's antidote to too much thinking. Perfect for a weekend afternoon double screen watch.

Deep Cover [Trailer], almost the perfect 90-minute film, has a stellar cast, a solid script, and a story that holds up with a plot that is wildly fantastical in a fitting way, so yeah, I’m calling it a keeper. I didn’t wake up this morning intending to watch this film, so it was a welcome entrant, considering I was bracing myself for double watches of The Accountant, films 1 and 2.

The plot follows an improv teacher and U.S. import to London, Bonnie, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, who has reached the formidable age when she’s being pressured by her financially well-off friends to abandon her artistic life in favor of stability. The thing is, like a lot of teachers, Kat genuinely loves what she does, and she’s deeply committed to both her craft (comedy) and her students. Two of her students include Marlon (played by Orlando Bloom), a deeply method actor who is going nowhere fast and as such has been dropped by his agent, and Hugh (Nick Mohammed), an ill-respected tech specialist working at a financial firm. All three actors are a delight in this film. While reviews often highlight Mohammed and Bloom’s performances, it’s Howard’s portrayal of Kat, understated and anchoring, that serves as the lynchpin, allowing all three to shine truly.

As the three are pulled into an undercover operation involving a local crime syndicate (Paid acting gigs are hard to come by, after all) they are forced to put their improv acting skills to the test. The most natural at this is Kat, but Marlon quickly finds his footing, and Hugh teeters along in a lovable way, reminiscent of Mohammed’s role in Ted Lasso before things took a darker turn.

The crime bosses played by Paddy Constantine, as Fly, a guy who’s not really a bad guy, and Ian McShane as Metcalfe, a nasty guy not without a good sense of humor, are fun to watch as well.

Summary: A welcome comedic retreat for those looking for a light, fun, and easy watch that’s not inane and ridiculous. That’s high praise in some circles.

Film-Pop Trivia Connections

The film opens with a telling quote:

Improv comedy is like going into battle. If you want to kill, you have to be willing to die.

No attribution for this quote beyond the film, in my Google travels, but if you find any let me know.

The term “Yes, and…”, which comes up several times, is an actual improv comedy principle. Per Wikipedia, it references, “Yes, and” thinking and “suggests that an improviser should accept what another improviser has stated (“yes”) and expand on that,” to keep the conversation and storyline going.

Unfortunately, it also embeds an earworm in my brain. It’s the following song (sorry, but not sorry):