I am not the biggest fan of Saturday Night Live (SNL) as I have always found the series tries way too hard to be funny and relevant. However, those early days of SNL were pure gold. Yes, they have had a renaissance here and there, but the comedic talent that came out of those early days were something else. So it amazes me that it took 50 years for an SNL to finally come out. However, Saturday Night is not a conventional biopic about the creation of SNL. It is about the 90 minutes leading up to the premier of the first SNL episode on October 11th, 1975. Even though you will undoubtedly be wanting more after watching Saturday Night, the film is still a chaotic fun ride.
Director Jason Reitman was not joking when he stated Saturday Night was a thriller comedy. Time is the enemy and anything that can go wrong, will go wrong as Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) tries to keep his cast and crew together with executives breathing down his neck ready to pull the plug with his experimental variety show. It is a very simple premise that is slightly undercooked, but it executes it so well that you won’t really care. It has a tight script that wastes no time throwing you into the chaotic minutes leading up to the first episode of SNL. The editing is filled with these long tracking shots that are filled to the brim with movement and direction as we follow our characters around the set. Characters are constantly speaking over and yelling at each other. And with the knowledge that this film plays out in real time, by the films end you wonder how on Earth they manage to get anything done and pull off the miracle of SNL. Jason Reitman makes a return to form with Saturday Night.
The film looks absolutely stunning as it was filmed on 16mm. You can smell and taste the cigarettes in the air as the film plunges you into 1970s coked out New York. The score by Jon Batiste is outstanding. It is lively and chaotic and it is further elevated that it was recorded live on set while shooting. However, despite this praise Saturday Night has one inherent flaw that it can’t escape from, you know exactly what is going to happen. Seeing that SNL is about to have its 50th season, it is safe to say they succeeded. So it is hard to emotionally connect with these characters as you know they will succeed. The only stakes that you will somewhat feel is with Lorne Michaels, played wonderfully by Gabriel LaBelle, as you feel the stress his character is going through. And he is the only character that doesn’t feel like an impersonation like the remaining ensemble, even though the ensemble is fantastic.
Overall, Saturday Night is a fun movie. It is a well-made and well-acted film that nails what it is trying to be. It is not trying to be a prestigious biopic, but a fun, stress inducing film about the makings of Saturday Night Live.
My Rating: A-
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