Posts Tagged ‘Hoodo Hersi’

I USED TO BE FUNNY: 3 ½ STARS. “a complicated but thoughtful movie.”

LOGLINE: Told on a broken timeline, “I Used to be Funny” toggles between past and present to present a vivid portrait of Sam (Rachel Sennott), a stand-up comic struggling with PTSD. As she reckons with her old life, she must also consider joining the search for Brooke (Olga Petsa), a missing teenager she used to nanny.

CAST: Rachel Sennott, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Jason Jones, Dani Kind, Ennis Esmer, Dan Beirne, Stephen Alexander, Hoodo Hersi, Miguel Rivas. Directed by Ally Pankiw.

REVIEW: A mix of humor and heartbreak, “I Used to be Funny” is a bittersweet movie that effectively captures the inner workings of a traumatized mind. (MILD SPOILER ALERT) Because of the film’s flash- forward-and-backwards structure, it takes time for the portrait to come into focus, but director Pankiw handles the time shifts gracefully, fitting the story shards together to form a complicated but thoughtful movie that doesn’t tip its hand until the third act.

At the heart of it all is Sennott, whose honest, sensitive work depicts the numbness, hopelessness and isolation that survivors of sexual assault experience.

It’s a heavy subject, given a respectful treatment, but it’s not without its lighter moments. The relationship between Sam and Brooke bubbles with warmth and, despite the title, humor, which amplifies the disconnection Sam feels in the present-day sequences. In their totality, the flashbacks placed against the present-day scenes makes for a fulsome portrait of the harsh aftereffects of sexual assault and Sam’s healing journey.

“I Used to be Funny” is a showcase for Sennott’s dramatic side, and a stirring and authentic look at PTSD and the road to recovery.

JFL 42: RICHARD TO HOST THE ‘COMEDY IN FRAUGHT POLITICAL TIMES’ PANEL.

With the current political and social climate, it seems that the boundaries between politics and stand-up comedy are crumbling. Comedy can play an important role in our politics, both in challenging apathy and the fear and despair that tend to dominate our newsfeeds. They often use humor to address inequalities, divisive topics, “taboo” subjects, and more, but how do they challenge those who say they have “crossed a line”? Does the line exist? Hear from outspoken comedians, including Nore DavisChanty Marostica, and Hoodo Hersi, as they talk about what it’s like right now making jokes in a fraught political moment. Moderated by Richard Crouse (CTV’s Pop Life).

Saturday September 21, 2019, 3 pm at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

Buy tickets HERE!