Emily (Noel Wells), a struggling actress who moved to La La Land to pursue a career in comedy, returns to her college town when a loved one falls sick. That’s the premise for Mr. Roosevelt, a comedy set in Austin, Texas.
After a few minutes of watching this lighthearted comedy, I realized that not only is this film set in Austin, but also every vibe, visual and detail is so Austin-y Austin that it could have been set at a food truck serving tacos. The next scene I saw? It was at a food truck serving tacos.
Wells (Master of None) is both actor and director for Mr. Roosevelt, and she’s a standout for comedy timing with both roles. She plays a character that is an equal blend of Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex & The City, Lena Dunham in Girls and Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids so there’s a lot of familiar stuff here, but the comedy is ripe and the Austin vibe has a distinct personality.
Before this film goes wide, the producers would be wise to cut an opening scene with unfortunate similarity to an Oscar-nominated musical released earlier this year. The comparisons are unfavorable and it's a bumpy start.
The film definitely finds its groove soon after. Like Jon Favreau's Chef (2014), Mr. Roosevelt is a familiar tale set in colorful place that is pure joy to watch. (Yeh, they both have food trucks.)
Simply put: Grab a Shiner and a taco and get ready to watch this girl and her mess visit Texas.
Award potential: Not a contender for awards season, but should please most audiences on the festival circuit and in theaters.
The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.
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