With a long title that essentially puts its premise out there for everyone to see, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is as wild as its title is long, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. The latest effort from writer-director David Wain, the film saw its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, before earning a sale to a major film distributor in Sony Pictures Classics and a major summer release date. Boasting an established fanbase, Wain fans will undoubtedly show up for this one, and the countless cameos of past contributors. While the film’s premise is there in the title, some may judge it solely on paper, but this overtly silly comedy wears out its charm very fast. Navigating a fine line between endearing silliness and simply pushing a story advanced by dumb characters in increasingly ridiculous scenarios, the latter ultimately wins out. That being said, a film that requires some suspension of belief in order to work, whether or not audiences can do so through its 90+ minute runtime will determine its success. Boasting an all star cast featuring Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, and John Slattery just to name a few, it is nowhere near as endearing as it thinks it is. Rather, it is just irredeemably dumb for dumb sake. Despite it all, being funny is a way to make up for a lot of this. However, it is not.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is what it says it is, following Gail Daughtry (Deutch), a pure Midwestern hairdresser who has her world turned upside down after a mind blowing weekend trip to Hollywood. About to marry her fiancé Tom (Michael Cassidy), their upcoming marriage would hit a speedbump when joke talk of a ‘celebrity pass’ was taken a little too seriously when Tom suddenly used his. Taken aback, not only for him sleeping with someone else, but also for how quickly it all played out. Distraught, the only response for Gail was to hook up with her ‘celebrity pass,’ Jon Hamm. A born and bred Midwesterner who loved her hometown and had no aspirations of leaving, Gail’s perspective was a limited one. All she knew was her hometown and the people who lived there, so she had no notions of celebrities and Hollywood. As a means to get away from her fiancé, Gail tagged along with her best friend, and fellow hairdresser, Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) on a trip to Los Angeles for a hairdressing convention. However, their trip evolved into something much more, helping her have sex with Jon Hamm to get even with Tom. Simple enough, that mission became a complicated one as the best friends found themselves in a series of increasingly ridiculous situations. Playing on the culture shock of Gail and Otto experiencing Hollywood up close and the contrast between them and that world for laughs, the humor is nonexistent, leaning on cheap reactions and half-baked spoofing or satire.
Not knowing the first thing about Hollywood, or how it functions, Gail and Otto’s adventure was full of the standard up and downs as they maneuvered their way across the Hollywood machine. Seemingly failing upwards at every turn, their journey was propelled by other flawed characters who empathize with her situation and wanted to help, including Caleb (Ben Wang), a young aspiring agent, and Vincent (Marino), a former paparazzo still looking for his white whale, which just happened to be Jon Hamm. As he proved to be an elusive celebrity, Gail, Otto, and their growing entourage were also pursued by Italian mobster Ludovica (Sabrina Impacciatore), and her henchmen. Hot on his trail, to get close to to Jon Hamm, they would need to make it worth his while. At the same time, Ludovica proved to be the final hurdle between Gail and her ultimate goal, acting as no more than an obstacle. Coming to a head with a ridiculous climax that has to be seen to be believed, the final outcome was never in doubt. Trying to give Gail, and other thin supporting characters some closure, the film provides little reason to indicate much thought was put into it beyond its snappy title. Other than the occasional gag, it is not funny, and the script is atrocious.
With the odds stacked against them, the collective over-the-top performances from its cast do fit with the overall tone of the film, but they do become painful to watch after a while. Deutch, however, is the biggest culprit, with a performance that is not entirely her fault. Gail is written so unbelievably naive, the pep in her step, and her overbearing personality that is not rooted in reality, make her so tiring to watch. Though she certainly commits to the role, she comes off a little too strong. While still likable as an actress, she’s a bit too much here. The writing and direction put everyone else in the same position, for the most part, but Slattery is a scene-stealer as an exaggerated version of himself.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is a silly title for an even sillier comedy that not only comes off a bit too strong, but is also not funny.
still courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics/Mongrel Media
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