Before the start of the film, director Howard Goldberg warned us and said it was a mind-bending comedy. Mind-bending is an understatement.
Elias Koteas stars as Jake Klein, a neurotic 50 year old trying to make it in the movie world. He throws a giant party in his house and sets up cameras to catch all the action for his film. Jake hires Mike Vogel to play himself and watches the movie unfold from his Iphone. Everything seems to be going well for Jake’s movie until his past literally catches up to him. Jake finds himself face to face with his 17 year old self, 30 year old self, 40 year old self, dead father and grandfather, ex-wife and first love (Jane Seymour). Jake has absolutely no clue what to make of everything, but continues filming for his movie. The movie then morphs from a laid-back comedy into a philosophical tale about the endless search for love.
Overall, the movie is quirky but charming. Koteas does a wonderful job playing 50 year old Jake, 40 year old Jake and 30 year old Jake. We feel as though we are at the party with him because periodically he will break from the scene to talk directly to the audience. He needs our help to make sense of what is going on and determine whether or not he’s going crazy.
In addition to breaking the fourth wall, Goldberg periodically employs quotes both during his movie and as a transitional tool. Ranging from Marcus Aurelius to Mark Twain to the Beatles, the quotes are put to use as both comedic relief and a plot device. At some points, the actors actually motion to where the quotes appear on the screen. It’s all very surreal and quite strange actually.
‘Jake Squared’ is stylistically comparable to Woody Allen films and if that’s your thing, you would probably appreciate this movie more than I did. I felt cheated by the ending. Despite the film’s great potential, the overall storyline fell short. It is as if the takeaway message is supposed to be, “You’ve made your bed. Now lie in it.” Yes, the movie is charming but it could have been so much more. I found this to be extremely ironic, considering the movie is about life’s missed opportunities. It had everything it needed for success: a diverse cast, an original plot and a natural connection to the audience. However, there are just too many storylines to settle, and Goldberg opts to leave essentially all of them unresolved.
I don’t think this movie will make it far in Hollywood due to its unconventional nature. The movie is a bit disorganized and would be much more compelling if some of the storylines were developed further. For a movie that is simply supposed to be about a man making a movie, it becomes quite confusing to follow Goldberg’s train of thought. This detracts from the movie as a whole because instead of trying to make sense of Jake Klein’s life, one finds herself trying to decipher what is actually happening in the movie itself.
All in all, I’d say it is definitely worth a watch, but only a watch. And if I were you, I’d bring a pen and paper to take notes.
Read More
Wes Anderson remains devoted to his signature style in “Asteroid City”
By Delaney Hammond | July 13, 2023In his newest release “Asteroid City,” Anderson presents a healthy dose of that signature flair his fans know so well. With the help of a star-studded cast and co-writer Roman Coppola, the filmmaker explores the artistic process and what it means to be a storyteller.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a brilliant return to the multiverse
By Melanie Chuh | June 27, 2023“Into the Spider-Verse” carefully curated Miles’s 2D comic book world, but “Across the Spider-Verse” introduces a greater variety of animation.
“Beau Is Afraid” of his own delusions and audiences should be too
By Jamie Jeong | May 4, 2023The film is the most controversial of Aster’s work by far for good reason, however, it seems to fulfill exactly what he ultimately wanted — for audiences to walk out of the theater wanting to throw up, questioning everything they just saw and afraid to call their mother back.
