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NOBODY FAMOUS: 3 STARS. “diving into the sinister side of ambition.”

In actor’s circles it’s not uncommon to hear, “I will kill for that role,” but would they really? That’s the fertile ground explored in “Nobody Famous,” a new dark comedy from director Sarah Rotella.

Set at a Northern Ontario cottage, the film sees aspiring actors, opportunist Dani (Justine Nelson), overeager Valerie (Gráinne O’Flynn), dim bulb Ricky R. (Evan Giovanni), closeted macho man Stefano (Justin Gerhard) and over-preparer Grace (Winny Clarke) get away for a weekend. All up-and-comers, they bring scripts, work on audition pieces, compare twitter followers and constantly check their phones for messages from their agents.

When Dani receives the call they’ve all been waiting for, the offer of a lead role in a science fiction film, the mood of the weekend changes. Petty disputes take over as jealousy becomes the word of the day.

Their respective acting talents will be put to the ultimate audition when one of them winds up dead, the victim of bruised egos and indifference. Can they convince everyone of their innocence when most of them can’t even land an acting gig?

“Nobody Famous” finds humour in the self-obsessed world of superficial, thin-skinned people. These characters claim to be friends and yet they trade veiled (and not so veiled) insults aimed at undermining confidence, take delight in their pal’s failures and sleep around.

Director Rotella and screenwriter Adrianna DiLonardo have fun with the stereotypes of these people, so desperate for attention, but take pains to show us the flip side. Inserts of audition tapes give a glimpse of the cutting remarks that erode away the self-confidence of all of the actors. Each have their cross to bear and each shroud that cross in bravado. It’s an interesting way to get under the skin of these people but “Nobody Famous” is ultimately more concerned with having fun with them, not understanding them. To that end it succeeds. It takes a bit too long to get to the juicy stuff—the death and the aftermath—but provides many laughs before diving into the sinister side of ambition.


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