Judd Apatow's new film marks a brand new departure for the director of Knocked Up, The Forty Year Old Virgin and This is Forty. Mostly famed for his lighthearted, low-brow stoner comedies, Apatow here delivers a film full of angst and inner turmoil all the while maintaining that lightness of spirit that made him one of the most loved comedy writers of his generation.
Written by Apatow in collaboration with comedian Dave Sirus and Saturday Night Live regular cast member Pete Davidson, The Kings of Staten Island stars and is partly based on Davidson’s own life. It reimagines how things would have been for the famously self-deprecating comic if he had stayed put in his native Staten Island instead of taking up comedy at an early age. The film also touches upon Davidson’s own tragic story of growing up without a father figure – his firefighter father died doing his job during the tragic events of 9/11 at the World Trade Centre.
At 24, Scott (Davidson) still lives with his mother (Marisa Tomei) and younger sister Claire - a fantastic turn courtesy of Apatow’s daughter Maude. With limited funds and no job prospects – his idea of one day opening a tattoo restaurant has become a long running joke amongst his family and friends – Scott divides the rest of his time between hanging out with on-and-off girlfriend Kelsey ( British actress Bel Pawley in impeccable Staten Island accent), and smoking copious amounts of weed with his friends.
When Claire heads off to college, Scott is left wondering what to do with his life. Things take a turn for the unexpected when his widowed mother starts dating Ray (played by stand-up comedian and podcast superstar Bill Burr), a loudmouth divorced firefighter to whom Scott takes an instant dislike. This new arrival in Scott’s life sets off a chain of events which forces him to finally start dealing with the grief of losing his father at an early age.
Apatow et al present a hugely likeable film which manages to tell a heartwarming story of growth and triumph over adversity. This being a collaborative work, The King Of Staten Island sometimes suffers from a slight lack of uniformity in dialogue and tone, but this in no way diminishes the strength of the story itself or the message it wants to put across.
At two hours and 17 minutes, one could be forgiven for thinking this might be a bit of a slog, but in reality the film manages to hold its own throughout by remaining true to Davidson’s own nonchalant rebellious spirit and particular brand of comedy.
Although not without fault, The King of Staten Island offers a simply told and gorgeously acted story. Apatow has finally manages to mix heart and humour and the result is something we all need right now.
