The To Do List
What stands out first about The To Do List is the confidence with which Maggie Carey establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The To Do List asks Aubrey Plaza and Johnny Simmons to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The To Do List is established with useful clarity: Feeling pressured to become more sexually experienced before she goes to college, Brandy Klark makes a list of things to accomplish before hitting campus in the fall. That direct approach lets The To Do List use its 1h 44m running time for character, atmosphere and consequence.
As director of The To Do List, Maggie Carey proves engaging in bursts but unable to maintain the same control in the transitions between intimate material and larger demands. A strong scene in The To Do List often begins with a modest detail before Maggie Carey lets its meaning expand. For The To Do List, worthwhile ideas compete with an uneven structure because the central tone remains visible even during busy passages. The weakness in The To Do List is that the pace alternates between hurry and drift, although Maggie Carey usually finds the original rhythm again.
The To Do List uses its comedy framework to consider embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. For the character played by Aubrey Plaza, that idea gives The To Do List stakes beyond the next immediate obstacle. The recurring pressure of Brandy Klark prevents the theme in The To Do List from feeling like decoration added after the story. Maggie Carey makes The To Do List more thoughtful whenever the implications remain inside action and reaction.
Performance is the clearest human asset in The To Do List, beginning with the committed centre provided by Aubrey Plaza. Johnny Simmons keeps The To Do List from settling into one emotional register by approaching the material from another angle. The presence of Bill Hader gives the surrounding world of The To Do List additional texture without distracting from the main line. When Maggie Carey holds on a reaction, The To Do List communicates more efficiently than another explanatory exchange could manage.
The narrative of The To Do List works from a simple but productive collision between Feeling and Brandy Klark. Through Aubrey Plaza, The To Do List keeps that premise rooted in a reaction the audience can understand. Maggie Carey introduces the central character at a useful point, giving The To Do List a reason to change pace without abandoning its emotional line. The handling of an important relationship is not equally fresh, yet The To Do List usually earns attention through clarity rather than surprise alone.
The To Do List gains much of its identity from well judged reactions, a choice that makes the world readable as well as attractive. The contribution of 3 Arts Entertainment allows The To Do List to combine well judged reactions with a consistent visual language. Within its United States setting, The To Do List makes particularly good use of performer rhythm when the story needs to change scale. Sound and editing preserve the personality of The To Do List by supporting detail instead of announcing every intended response.
For comedy fans who respond to personality and timing, The To Do List is ultimately a qualified recommendation. Its most persuasive combination in The To Do List brings Aubrey Plaza together with performer rhythm under the direction of Maggie Carey. The fact that the pace alternates between hurry and drift prevents The To Do List from being entirely seamless. Even with that reservation, The To Do List has a clear point of view and enough genuine feeling to justify the journey.
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