Palm Springs takes a very accessible, crowd-pleasing premise -- essentially what if Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell had gone through Groundhog Day together -- and works wonders with it. It's been a long time since I saw a romantic comedy that I genuinely enjoyed and laughed out loud at and if, like me, you're needing laughs right now you can't go wrong with it.
Andy Samberg proves he can anchor a movie like this as a leading man, but the real revelation is his co-star Cristin Milioti, who has shined in small film roles and on Broadway but has never had a real showcase like she has here. She's funny, sexy, sympathetic and unpredictable -- basically everything you'd want in a romantic comedy lead.
I went into Palm Springs pretty cold -- I knew there was a supernatural element going in -- but part of the fun of the movie (which is a very well paced 90 or so minutes) is that it doesn't immediately plunge you into its high concept premise.
Samberg's character has been reliving the same day (what turns out to be the wedding day of a close friend of his girlfriend) for an unknown period of time before he accidentally draws Milioti into his world. Once the two of them embrace their plight the film takes on a sublime, fizzy energy that is infectious.
They pretty much carry the movie on their shoulders, although J.K. Simmons turns in a very funny supporting turn that reminds you how likable he can be in the right circumstances. And for much of the film's running time it feels like an inventive, if albeit a little derivative, romp.
That energy can't be fully sustained in the last act -- which becomes increasingly conventional and therefore a little less invigorating -- but this is a small quibble, Palm Springs is so bright, loose, engaging and lovable that I'm willing to look past its deficiencies.
It's also a decidedly small scale comedy -- which could serve a blueprint for where movies like this are headed. I actually think it could have performed well and might have been a hit had it been marketed the right way as a traditional theatrical release, but it also, works just fine as a streaming vehicle.
It largely takes place on just a handful of sets, with a modest-sized cast and plausible-but-not-flashy special effects. It reminded me a little of Safety Not Guaranteed, a movie I still like although it seems to have earned a lot of detractors in the period subsequent to its release.
It's essentially one of those movies everyone can enjoy -- and these days, that's not a bad thing at all.
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