A romantic comedy without humor or genuine romantic sentiment, The Stand-In tells the story of how Robbie Bryan (the film's star and writer) made it as a writer and an actor. Unfortunately, as a performer, Bryan mugs relentlessly for the camera, trips over every punch line, and moves with the wooden gracelessness of a man in a full body cast. As a writer, he tells a woefully predictable story of a young man who abandons his family-ordained path to law school for a career involving every struggling actor cliché imaginable, from disinterested agents to bartending gigs to the sassy black neighbor who teaches him the ropes. On the plus side, soap and talk show star Kelly Ripa has fine screen presence, but her “girlfriend” part is pointless and director Roberto Monticello seems reticent to give her a single close-up--a reticence that extends to holding the camera steady, lighting shots correctly, developing pacing, or monitoring his cast's performances. Not recommended. (D. Fienberg)
The Stand-In
IndieDVD, 100 min., PG, VHS or DVD: $19.98 Volume 18, Issue 3
The Stand-In
Star Ratings
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