In a World…

Written and directed by Lake Bell, In a World… follows struggling vocal coach Carol Solomon (Lake Bell) as she attempts to rise above the shadow of her famous father (Fred Melamed’s Sam) to become a voiceover artist in her own right. First-time filmmaker Bell has infused the early part of In a World… with a fast-paced and gleefully irreverent sensibility that proves difficult to resist, with the easygoing atmosphere heightened by the strong performances and inclusion of several hilariously conceived comedic set-pieces. Bell’s affable turn as the central character is, for a little while, enough to compensate for a narrative that’s rarely as focused as one might’ve liked, and it’s hard to deny that the movie, which seems to go off on a new tangent every 15 minutes or so, begins to palpably run out of steam about halfway through. The film’s saving grace is its sporadic emphasis on the behind-the-scenes exploits of its voiceover-industry characters, as such moments possess a fun, insider-like feel that generally compensates for the erratic nature of Bell’s screenplay (eg there’s a fantastic sequence detailing the competition for a job narrating a highly-anticipated movie trailer). But for every energetic and entertaining stretch, In a World… has been suffused with two or three more interludes that simply don’t work or wear out their welcome (eg the characters converge at a movie-trailer awards ceremony) – which ultimately confirms the film’s place as a passable yet far-from-flawless debut for Bell.

**1/2 out of ****