One of Them Daysis the kind of comedy Hollywood used to make regularly.
The film keeps the premise simple and trusts the characters to react in funny ways.
Her roommate, Alyssa (SZA), is an artist with no income.
Keke Palmer, left, and SZA in ‘One of Them Days’TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection
Rather, it is the simple premise that fueled many of the great comedies.
They need X amount of money by X time.
Happy Gilmore played golf to raise enough money.
Tommy Boy sold brake pads.
Deuce Bigelow, for better or worse, prostituted himself.
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They begin by looking for Keshawn.
Hes cheating on Alyssa with Berniece (Aziza Scott), who becomes a nemesis throughout the day.
Now Berniece is following them, on top of their original problem.
Dreux dances in the street to motivate herself, and Palmer commits to it.
She feeds Alyssa chicken, and SZA milks all the comedy possible from biting chicken fingers.
Scott gets in on the physical comedy too by doing the Tom Cruise run as she gives chase.
The films verbal comedy draws on a familiarity between the characters.
Early scenes establish a neighborhood full of characters who know one another.
Angelenos will recognize the geography ofOne of Them Days, as it cites specific streets and landmarks.
Norms and Churchs Chicken are real local spots, and streets La Brea, Hillcrest and Crenshaw get name-checked.
The rest of the world might not know or care, but the specificity makes the daylong misadventure authentic.
A specific neighborhood houses specific residents so that everyone Dreux and Alyssa encounter, even briefly, is memorable.
DirectorLawrence Lamontguides the comedy through this neighborhood with impeccable timing, especially in a recurring drive-thru gag.
One of Them Dayschooses moments of sincerity carefully but succeeds in navigating those tonal shifts.
Its earned, but the scene is also only there to get their friendship to the next stage.
Palmer and SZAs physicality is inimitable though, and makes them an endearing comedy duo.
