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AFTER CLASS
Director: Daniel Schechter Cast: Justin Long, Kate Berlant, Lynn Cohen, Michael Godere, Richard Schiff, Fran Drescher, Silvia Morigi, Becky Ann Baker, Samrat Chakrabarti MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:33 Release Date: 12/6/19 (limited) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | December 5, 2019 There's a level of sincerity to After Class that almost makes its narrative messiness worthwhile. Since writer/director Daniel Schechter's movie is about a character whose life is—and increasingly becomes more of—a mess, one could look at this collection of assorted subplots, revolving around the relationships and roles of a man who has trouble seeing beyond himself, as an intentional choice on the part of the filmmaker. It likely is, but that doesn't prevent the movie from feeling as if it's biting off more than it can chew. The man is Josh (Justin Long), an adjunct professor of creative writing at a New York City college, and his teaching job presents one of the many problems with which he has to deal. During one class, he convinced a student to discuss an embarrassing sexual encounter, and at least one other student was offended by what she saw as a powerful man pressuring a younger woman. His job might be in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Josh has to cope with the fact that his grandmother (played by Lynn Cohen) is dying. His sister Jackie (Kate Berlant), currently having trouble with her boyfriend, has decided to stay at Josh's apartment. His older brother David (Michael Godere) has his life together and doesn't hide his annoyance with his younger brother's immaturity. The children's mother Diane (Fran Drescher) is already packing up grandma's possessions, and their father Jeff (Richard Schiff) is emotionally distant, because his new wife would rather he forget about his first family. There's some more, too (Josh's own relationship issues, for example, stemming from a depressing break-up, an affair with David's nanny, and living with an Italian student, played by Silvia Morigi, who likes rough sex), but even these essential relationships feel like too much for Schechter to juggle. The subplot involving his teaching job is mostly a distraction, tapping into an of-the-moment political discussion for just another—and unnecessary—item on the list of complications in Josh's life. The story's eventual goal is that Josh begins to see and relate to the problems of other people, instead of focusing on his own misery and making jokes whenever he's uncomfortable. While those are noble intentions and Long portrays that gradual transformation well enough, there's no avoiding that Schechter fills After Class with too many obstacles and too much drama. Copyright © 2019 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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