This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.
It’s always a source of pride whenever one sees a film shot in their hometown, even more so when that film makes its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. This was the case with On The Count of Three which was shot in my hometown of Ottawa, Canada. While it was definitely cool to recognize some landmarks, those feelings quickly go away as the film delivers a powerful and surprisingly intense buddy dramedy that finds an impeccable balance between hilarious comedy and poignant and emotional drama thanks to a sharp script and the great performances and chemistry of its two stars, Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott. Meanwhile, the film is also the directorial debut of Carmichael. Here, he shows plenty of flare while treating the film’s subject matter of mental illness with compassion, empathy, and dignity.
On The Count of Three tells the story of a pair of friends named Val (Carmichael) and Kevin (Abbott) who were struggling with taking control of their lives where there seemed to be no way out with Val finding himself in a difficult position where he saw himself as a failure both professionally and personally and Kevin recovering from a failed suicide attempt. As a result, the only answer seemed to be a mutually agreed upon double suicide between the friends but suffice it to say that things were not as simple as that. From there, the two went on an existential journey of sorts full of ups and downs as they went about their unfinished business. Ultimately, the film was at its best whenever Val and Kevin played off of each other. While the writing was strong, the chemistry of Carmichael and Abbott truly brought their characters and their pain to life in an impactful way.
On The Count of Three is not to be missed and one that will definitely be talked about for a while. Hopefully it gets picked up.
still courtesy of Sundance
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
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