aTypical Wednesday

...and I liked every minute of it. I stumbled upon this while flipping through Amazon Prime. I thought I'd try it for a few minutes, and got hooked almost immediately. I'm going to be honest here. I am not at all familiar with J. Lee. But I really enjoyed him here. Because he seemed real. And, despite decent performances by the supporting actors, this film is very much his. I hope to see more of him. And btw, although you won't see it in this film...this man can play classical piano!!! The illogical aspect here is...let's see...a Black man driving around LA all day with a little white boy. You think about it. But it works. I have to take one thing back. I didn't like every minute of it. Michael Ealy, a pretty decent actor, is totally unconvincing here as the therapist. Totally unconvincing. But other than that, it's a great little film.

Simple but to the point. I thoroughly enjoyed it as it spoke to human behavior & the need to develop one's consciousness. I was able to see how one contradicts oneself & through experience & guided insight can then improve oneself.

First off, why is this movie getting 10/10 stars. Did I watch the same movie??! The acting was HORRIBLE and CRINGE. I love unscripted diaglogue only when it seems natural...this movie did not have that, like, I could tell when someone went off script. I laughed out loud once during a Michale Ealy scene because me and him already knew the main character is an annoying cry baby with anger problems. The main character ( i cant even remember his name) does not come off comedic but rather childish. Some scenes reminded me of Uptown Girls, "atypical" troubled babysitter watching a troubled child. Don't waste your time trying to watch this like I did. I gave a two because Michael Ealys role and performance, it added just a bit normality.

ATypical Wednesday is an endearing, funny, and topical film with star-making turns for actor/writer/director J Lee and Emmy Raver-Lampman. J Lee plays Gabe, a well-meaning personal trainer whose feeling hollow after being objectified at work and a string of meaningless relationships. He's at a crossroads but has help from a patient therapist who sees through his BS and that he's not being really honest with himself. The story gets going when Gabe meets a lost kid outside his therapist's office and decides to do a good deed by giving him a ride home. The kid is played believably and earnestly by Cooper J Friedman. The ride home becomes a lot more complicated as Gabe's life begins to fall apart further and he becomes subject to a full blown anxiety attack. Eventually he learns that the kid may have his own serious mental issues and problems that are worse than his own. Gabe gains perspective from their day together and by finally being being honest with himself, he's able to make the key choices that were the root cause of his distress and problems. This movie rises above the traps of most indie comedies with thoughtful, engaging, and original characters and phenomenal acting by the lead actors. It was refreshing to not have to endure endless strings of weird/eccentric side characters for the lead actors to make bewildered faces at that's become the cliche of so many indie comedy films. This movie has more on its mind and a more important message to get across, but it manages to find the right tone and not get mired in too much light-heartedness or overly preachy messaging. Well worth the watch!

Funny. Laughed out loud. Loved the characters and the acting. Great story and clever. I want a sequel and a series-enjoyed it that much!! Will look for more movies by J Lee!

Funny and entertaining! The main character was more sensitive than the average male and in touch with his feelings. It gives me hope that films featuring black casts and directors are getting more penetrative in thought. If Michael Ealy were my therapist, I'd be in therapy forever!

The film starts out introducing Gabe (J. Lee ) who has a relationship issue. He owns a Bootcamp gym and talks to a shrink about him taking a break from the relationship. We are then introduced to Alec (Cooper J. Friedman) a bullied nine-year-old who lives with modern parents who are very orderly. The good comedy starts when their lives come together. The film had its moments. I wasn't buying into any of the characters. Gabe was his own worst enemy and I didn't empathize with him. The movie had some good moments, but didn't maintain them. Guide: F-word. Implied sex. No nudity.

I really enjoyed this movie. it really is a reflection of the intricacies and trails of normal relationships, life and problems... with a little drama thrown in for good measure. It's a well written story for the most part, and the lead -Jlee really does a good job portraying the character of a worried, insecure but morally principled guy trying to manage a series of unfortunate events. I know him from 'The Orville' an exceptional Star Trek adaptation in which he plays helmsman/ chief engineer. He's ok in it, but here he does a far better job, albeit in his somewhat low key manner. The whole cast is pretty competent and does good job with the meterial, though Emmy Raver-Lampman who plays the 'Crazy' ex-lover does a spectacular job with the role. The movie has some good laugh out load moments, but I wouldn't say its a funny movie, certainly not a comedy. I'm not even sure that is what was being aimed at. If I had to guess I would say 'humorous' which has been well achieved. I think 7/10 is a fair and accurate rating, and it was a nice surprise to come across something so refreshing unexpectedly.