SPIN ME ROUND
Alison Brie, Alessandro Nivola, Molly Shannon, Lil Rel Howery, Ben Sinclair, Zach Woods, Tim Heidecher, Debby Ryan, Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Ego Nowdim, Ayden Mayeri.
Directed by Jeff Baena.
Spin Me Around is what happens to the central character, Amber, played by Alison Brie. But it is also what happens to the audience itself.
It all starts rather nicely at a diner in Bakersfield, California, where Amber has been working as a manager for some years, working with Paul (Lil Rel Howery). Suddenly she wins a competition, several managers in the US invited to Italy, to the headquarters of the company running the diners. Naturally, she is excited, never having been outside the US before, arriving in Italy with some of the other managers and being taken past a mansion but then being put in a second-rate hotel, her view from her room the garbage bins!
Seven of the managers are women, fairly glamorous, except for Debs, played in caricature style by Molly Shannon. The other two are men. They are to participate in a course on cooking. And so it goes, but…
Amber is spun around when she encounters the chief of the company, Nick, Alessandra Nivola on his yacht, questioning her, making approaches, but leaving her in the hands of his manager played by Aubrey Plaza. We gradually realise, as does Amber, that the whole trip is a set up, affluent Italians with a kind of Dolce Vita lifestyle, especially changing sexual partners, for the American women to become part of this. The irony is that the two men who caused some problems had been thought of as women because of their names, Fran and Dana.
Some black comedy, but some moral issues for Amber, the attraction of being picked out and then discovering that some of the other girls, the experience of the unmasking, her decision to return home, even resisting a visit from Nick, making a very strong Me Too#choice, and standing up for herself.
The film was written and directed by Jeff Baena along with Alison Brie. Baena is married to Aubrey Plaza and his work with her in other films as he has with Alison Brie and Molly Shannon.
Not what we were expecting – but another perspective on contemporary society and moral choices.
1. The title? The media of the title, Amber?
2. The US, Bakersfield, California, the town, the restaurant? The contrast with Italy, the range of cities visited, names on screen, Pisa, Lucca, Pistoia…? The Italian countryside and drives, the mansions, the drab hotel, restaurants…? The musical score?
3. The atmosphere of the Italian fairytale, Amber, her very ordinary life, the gift of the trip, travelling outside the US? The conversation with her friend, possibilities for romance? And nine years, her boyfriend taking her money, the collapse of her planned restaurant? Careful?
4. The competition, the commercial with Nick, Italian style, cheap prices, his charm on the screen? The competition, the winners, going to Italy, the course, all-expenses-paid?
5. Pisa, the airport, Craig and his meeting the group? The initial introductions? Amber, charm? Jen, Susie, American styles? Molly Shannon as Debs, losing her luggage, talking in the car, her behaviour, eccentric, married, on the lookout for something more, borrowing Amber’s clothes, her behaviour with the group, more and more eccentric? The two men? Their names? Driving past the mansion, but going to the hotel, the window looking out on the bins?
6. Craig, leadership, the course, the chef coming in for two days, Fran and his wanting to show off his skills? Nick’s arrival, kissing the women, Amber on the lips, the men, Dana and his adulation? The presence of Cat, in the background, observing, Nick’s assistant?
7. The poor programming of the course, the cooking demonstrations, showing Life is Beautiful, the inattention of the girls during the sessions? Craig and his behaviour?
8. Cat, friendly with Amber, taking her out, the cover of the migraine, Craig colluding, on the yacht, with Nick, his probing questions, earnest responses, the romance and her response? Cat picking her up, the return? The later contriving to meet with Nick?
9. The other women, unwell, time off? The two girls with the drugs?
10. The invitation to the party, Taking Amber for the expensive dress fitting? Wearing it to the party, Rick, his wife, his son and his wife and her jealous tantrum? Nick, his charm, dancing? But Amber and her suspicions? Fleeing with cat, cat and her amorous advances, cheating the restaurant owner with the food?
11. The invitation to the party, the tawdry atmosphere, Craig as MC, Nick and his presence, the presumption that Amber was willing to be part of this? Her leaving?
12. Going suspicions, Debs and her behaviour, Dana joining with Amber to discover what was happening, the background of the wild pigs, the attack, his seemingly dead? Debs’ reaction?
13. The expose of the party? The pigs and the attack, the police, the arrest in interrogations? Dana not dead?
14. The shift in the film from the holiday, to the romance, to suspicions, to exploitation, black comedy, sexuality, expose?
15. The group going home? Amber back to normal?
16. Nick and his visit, the allure, the invitations, Amber and her stances, her decent stand against Nick? The American woman, asserting herself, the attempted seduction, the issues of sexual harassment, #MeToo, Amber and self-worth and integrity?
