All Joking Aside
Stage fright is an awful thing. When I was a kid, I genuinely had my eyes set on being a stand-up comedian. Very few people probably know that, but I did a talent show at my old primary school and just froze up in front of everyone. That was the end of my experiences with anything performance based. It took me about a decade to get over that and form any sort of coherent public speaking, I think that’s why I have such respect for stand-up comedians and the art they provide audiences. They put their emotions on the line, laying them out for all to see, and there’s a good chance a lack of reception or care from those they perform to could throw them off their mark. All Joking Aside showcases this rather vividly, following a struggling comedian looking to catch her break.
There are immediate, throwaway comparisons to The Big Sick but there are also crucial differences. All Joking Aside has larger consistencies but The Big Sick doesn’t hone its focus in on the rise of a stand-up artist. Shannon Kohli’s direction is solid, a great deal of shot-reverse-shot moments, but for a feature like this, it provides a suitable style. The material from a writing and acting point of view will always take precedent in a smaller budget piece such as this. Kohli surely has an interesting and unique perspective, but her static style of simplistic shot choreography does her no justice. A shame, since she does have a compelling narrative to work with here — a little rushed toward the end, but on the whole it’s a great job.
Kohli gathers some solid performers through this, though. Up and comers clash with stalwart veterans of both the stand-up business and the acting industry. Richard Lett and Brian Markinson make for a great double team in the scenes they share, shining a light on Markinson’s solid work. Coupled with Lett bringing a spark of comedy only he can, they do a great job in highlighting Raylene Harewood’s leading role. Solid work, gelling well with the rest of the cast and certainly displaying herself at ease in a central performance.
All Joking Aside does a consistent job of capturing the comedy club scene and how unlikely friendships can blossom between individuals who feel like they should be at odds with one another. Some may write this one off as cliché, but considering these stories on the comedy circuit seem ten-a-penny, it’d be very hard to sincerely knock this piece. It’s very nicely performed and written, with likeable characters. There are a couple of underlying story arcs that aren’t quite cleared up by the end, although I feel that’s intentional. Overall, All Joking Aside has a lot to offer; it has heart and will likely be a staple of the cult comedy scene for years to come.