Fresno
Director: Jamie Babbit
Rating: N/A
Release Date: March 14, 2015 (SXSW)
Fresno features a stellar cast of Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black), Judy Greer (Archer), Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation), Fred Armisen (Portlandia), and more that allures comedy lovers into not missing it. And with a plot that features Lyonne as an optimistic presence in her recovering sex addict and cynical sister played by Greer, the formula for a solid indie comedy is all but assured, right?
Read on and find out.
Shannon (Greer) is a recovering sex addict living and working with her younger sister, Martha (Lyonne), who takes her job as a hotel maid very seriously and is doing everything in her power to assure Shannon’s successful recovery. However, after Shannon’s relapse with a guest at the hotel ends with his death, the two decide to dispose of the body by bringing it to a pet cemetery for incineration. However, when the cemetery owners, played by Armisen and Fargo‘s Allison Tolman, blackmail them for $25,000, Shannon and Martha must come up with the money quickly in outlandish ways.
Fresno subverts the typical formula by making Shannon almost completely unlikeable save for her quick wit and other quirks, making her an anti-hero of sorts. It’s an interesting take on the plot that allows Greer to play up the ungrateful, unrepentant type to let her comedy shine. However, the script and writing for the film is very flat and one-dimensional, despite some funny scenes set up, like robbing a sex shop and a rap-themed Bar Mitzvah.
In short, Fresno isn’t very funny, save for some small exceptions. It’s a shame, too, because the cast is made up of some really hilarious actors, yet they weren’t given the proper material to truly show off their talents. In a nutshell, Fresno feels like a vehicle for Greer and Lyonne that unfortunately suffers from a flat or two.