ANCHOR INTRO: When you watch a movie trailer you probably recognize the stars and even the director. But do you ever think about the person doing the voiceover? KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando reviews “In A World…,” an indie film about a voice over actress. INAWORLD 1 (ba).wav 1:17 =============================== How many times have you heard a movie trailer start like this… CLIP In a world… Well Carol wants to be the first woman to voice an epic movie trailer using the opening lines made famous by the late Don La Fontaine, the voiceover king. But Carol’s dad, who fancies himself the heir apparent to LaFontaine, dismisses her ambitions as silly. DAD: You should stick with the accents, that’s your thing. That’s what you’re good at what was that great, that Russian Star Wars thing you used to do as a kid? CAROL: I know the one you’re talking about but dad… DAD: No, what was it? CAROL: Don’t make me do it. DAD: Com’on, please let me hear it CAROL: Dese are not da droids you are looking for. “In a World…” is a charming, good-natured, and warm-hearted indie film. It’s both a quirky romantic comedy and an insider’s look at what goes on behind the sound proof doors of a recording studio. Writer, director, and actress Lake Bell plays the insecure, talented, and cautiously hopeful Carol. Through Carol – and Bell’s a comic lens -- we get a taste of how the voiceover and voice acting world works. It’ll make you listen to those movie trailers in a whole new way. Beth Accomando, KPBS News.
When you watch a movie trailer you probably recognize the stars and even the director. But do you ever think about the person doing the voiceover? "In A World..." (opening August 16 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas) does.
How many times have you heard a movie trailer start like this…
"In a world of..."
Then fill in the blanks... love and war... poverty and wealth... murder and intrigue...
Well Carol (played by Lake Bell) wants to be the first woman to voice an epic movie trailer using the opening lines made famous by the late Don La Fontaine, the voiceover king. But Carol’s dad (Fred Melamed), who fancies himself the heir apparent to LaFontaine, dismisses her ambitions as silly.
DAD: You should stick with the accents, that’s your thing. That’s what you’re good at what was that great, that Russian Star Wars thing you used to do as a kid?
CAROL: I know the one you’re talking about but dad…
DAD: No, what was it?
CAROL: Don’t make me do it.
DAD: Com’on, please let me hear it
CAROL: Dese are not da droids you are looking for.
Writer, director, and actress Lake Bell plays the insecure, talented, and cautiously hopeful Carol. Bell's character may be stressed and a bit awkward but her direction is smooth and confident. She gives the characters time to develop and each eventually reveals a vulnerability or charm to win us over and makes us see them as all too human. The comedy flows naturally from the characters and is often hilarious.
Through Carol – and Bell’s a comic lens -- we get a taste of how the voiceover and voice acting world works. It’ll make you listen to those movie trailers in a whole new way.
"In A World..." is rated R for language including some sexual references.
Companion viewing: "Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices," "The Descendants," "Radio Days"
