Page 20 - AHATA_Neat

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 9 July 2020
'Palm Springs' arrives for the Groundhog Days of quarantine

By JAKE COYLE murders it," Samberg says.
AP Film Writer Over the past month, they
NEW YORK (AP) — Though have all wondered about
most of the films that have whether "Palm Springs" re-
debuted during the pan- ally does fit the moment.
demic never got to screen While protests around the
for packed movie houses, death of George Floyd
"Palm Springs" had the kind forced a national reckoning
of premiere filmmakers on ingrained racism, it be-
dream of. came clear the pandemic
At the Sundance Film Fes- hasn't been "Groundhog
tival in January, the time- Day." It's also been a time
loop romantic comedy, of tragedy and reckoning
starring Andy Samberg and self-examination.
and Cristin Milioti drew big "We've all been asked to
laughs, enthusiastic re- sit with ourselves, and that
views and a record deal can be really difficult. That's
for the festival. Hulu and what happens in the film for
the indie distributor Neon Sarah for the first time, and
acquired "Palm Springs" for it's a nightmare," says Mili-
$17,500,000.69. The extra oti. "The silver lining of that
cents were suggested af- is that we, white people,
ter negotiations stretched had to sit in the discomfort
deep into the night by Sam- of 'Oh my God.' We had to
berg's Lonely Island partner watch things. We had to
Akiva Schaffer, a producer sit in the horror of it all and
on the film. there was no distraction."
"We've been saying Hulu Samberg calls it "an inter-
insisted. It was either Akiva esting moment to be put-
or Hulu," says Samberg, ting out a comedy."
chuckling. "It might have This image released by Hulu shows Cristin Milioti, left, and Andy Samberg in a scene from the film "The last thing you want is to
been Akiva at, like, 5 a.m. "Palm Springs." feel like you're distracting
after staying up all night Associated Press from what's going on right
making a deal and having now. I think it's a moment of
been drinking earlier in the ple in some state of lock- any such story line risked me laugh and also mov- wanting to stay vigilant and
night. Or it was Hulu. I can't down across the country, a breaching the sacred ing me," Milioti says. "I just focused and engaged,"
quite recall." movie about the comedy comedy territory of Harold thought it was so delightful he says. "As someone who
That memory may be dis- of reliving the same day Ramis' "Groundhog Day." and nuts." is trying to be that way, I
tant and from another life- became weirdly appropri- "I went in thinking, 'The all- Lonely Island, the trio of also find that at the end
time, entirely. But "Palm ate. A time loop opened, timer of that is done.' And Samberg, Schaffer and of the day, when I put the
Springs," which premieres and "Palm Springs" dove in. I don't think this changes Jorma Taccone, helped kid to bed, we want to put
Friday on Hulu and in drive- When Siara and Barbakow that in the slightest," says develop the project with on something light half the
in theaters, has found itself started on "Palm Springs," Samberg. "The thing about Barbakow and Siara. But if time to give ourselves a
oddly suited to right now. they didn't intend to wade it that made me want to do "Groundhog Day" was ini- momentary break."
The film, the feature debut into "Groundhog Day" ter- it anyway is, to me, it feels tially an impediment, time- They've all found them-
of director Max Barbakow ritory. The two met in film like it very intentionally picks loop tales — like the ac- selves living a strange ver-
and screenwriter Andy Si- school and, after making up where 'Groundhog Day' claimed Netflix series "Rus- sion of the movie they cre-
ara, is about a bridesmaid, a few shorts together, de- leaves off." sian Doll" — proliferated ated. But there are some
Sarah (Milioti), who, after cided to set their feature "Palm Springs" uses its daily while they worked on "Palm positives. The main upside,
an encounter with a guest, debut in Palm Springs after reset to dig into the emo- Springs." says Samberg, is spend-
Nyles (Samberg), at her sis- a weekend in the Southern tional lives of Sarah and "We were like, '(Expletive).' ing more time with his wife,
ter's wedding, falls into a California desert oasis. Si- Nyles, both of whom who We talked about bailing on musician Joanna Newsom,
time loop. She begins reliv- ara had just gotten married have shrugged off matu- it a few times," says Sam- and young daughter. Siara,
ing the day over and over in Palm Springs, and they rity in various ways. It's a berg. "It sort of morphed into who with his wife is soon ex-
again, a cycle that Nyles gravitated toward a nihilis- relationship comedy where feeling like 'We shouldn't pecting the birth of their
has already been stuck in tic character who had long the starts and stops of per- do this because there are second child, hasn't mind-
for so long he can't remem- tired of standard wedding sonal and romantic growth so many' into 'We should ed the repetitive days. "I'm
ber. chit chat. happen through surreal sci- do this because there are cool with being stuck in the
When other movies were That the film started char- ence-fiction re-runs. so many' — like it was just a monotony," he says.
postponing their releases, acter first, not with the high "It was dark and weird in genre now. But no one can compete
"Palm Springs" opted to es- concept, the two say was ways that I'm extremely "Palm Springs," the filmmak- with Barbakow in terms of
sentially stay put. With peo- key. Still, encroaching on drawn to while also making ers realized, hung on the syncing with their film. He
relationship between Sarah proposed to his girlfriend
and Nyles, and it would be during quarantine.
difficult to overstate how "If you're stuck with your-
much Milioti ("Fargo," "Black self, there's a lot of op-
Mirror") brings to the movie. portunity for introspection
Her performance, while and connection with who-
equally goofball, grounds ever you're stuck with,"
the film in genuine self-re- says Barbakow. "I'm happy
proach. "When I watch it, to be stuck with my now
I feel like she just absolutely fiancée."q