Some of the most familiar voices in Hollywood are unrecognizable to the eyes. Voice over actors especially in TV ads and movie trailers are familiar to society bombarded by advertising. (The most well-known was the late and great Don LaFontaine.) Quality roles for women in the Entertainment Industry tend to be few and far between and actress/filmmaker Lake Bell (best known for the cult TV show Children’s Hospital.) knows this. The talented actress has done a lot of work in TV struggling to be taken seriously. In her Sundance award winning, indie comedy In A World… her struggling character Carol reflects art imitating life as a talented woman overlooked working in an industry dominated by men.
Synopsis: Lake Bell (“Children’s Hospital”) stars in In a World…, a hilarious romantic comedy about a struggling vocal coach who strikes it big in the cutthroat world of movie-trailer voiceovers, only to find herself in direct competition with the industry’s reigning king-her father. Written and directed by Bell, who won the Sundance 2013 Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for the script, In a World… also stars Fred Melamed (A Serious Man), Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine), Demetri Martin (“Important Things with Demetri Martin”), Michaela Watkins (“Enlightened”), Ken Marino (“Burning Love”), Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”), Alexandra Holden (The Hot Chick) and Tig Notaro (“The Sarah Silverman Program”). (c) Roadside Attractions
“In A World” is a humorous, smart, and quirky peek into the industry where Carol is in direct competition with the “industry’s reigning king – her father,” as the synopsis states. The other refreshing strength of “In A World” is the top notch supporting cast. This strength of In A World supplied by the supporting cast that joins Lake Bell as Carol provides fresh energy. From her very talented voice performer father Sam (Fred Melamed), her sister Dani (Michaela Watkins), Dani’s husband Gary (Rob Corddry), big hearted sound technician Louis (Demetri Martin) famous, rival voice over Gustav (Ken Marino), and the sarcastic Heners (an unrecognizable Nick Offerman from TV’s Parks & Recreation), the cast enhances the storytelling beyond cliche Rom-Com or pretentious indie.
Balancing different types of movies from a Hollywood satire, a message movie about female empowerment, and a tender romantic comedy, In A World… is a little gem of a movie. In A World… won the same Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance that Safety Not Guaranteed won last year and Winters Bone in 2010. From gracing the cover of Vanity Fair to her cult TV series Children’s Hospital, Lake Bell is on the verge of a breakout career. With a Lucielle Ball/Carol Burnett demeanor and a look of Amanda Peet, audiences benefit from getting acquainted with Lake Bell. In A World… is all Lake Bell’s movie: This is her moment and her voice.
So The Movie Blog Readers do you think Lake Bell is here to stay or just the next hot actress to soon disappear?
