Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is absurdist version of The Wizard of Oz, where the end of the yellow brick road is sex with Jon Hamm. If you’re not a fan of David Wain’s films and brand of humour, this movie will not work for you. While it doesn’t best his other films like Role Models and They Came Together, it’s perfectly serviceable comedy flick for the summer.
Gail (Zoey Deutch) and her fiance Tom (Michael Cassidy) briefly discuss the idea of a celebrity sex pass. It’s a fun hypothetical thing that couples do – we don’t really strive to achieve this, or take advantage of it if the opportunity arises. Yet Tom does it casually, hooking up with Jennifer Aniston – yes this movie is littered with cameos – with no consideration for Gail’s feelings. After this betrayal, Gail isn’t sure whether she can still marry Tom. Maybe a trip to Los Angeles will help, especially if that leads her to Jon Hamm, her very own celebrity sex pass. It’s very tit for tat behaviour, and Gail’s delusional belief that being in Hollywood will eventually lead her to Jon Hamm is hilarious stuff.
Along the way, Gail and her hair stylist bff Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) meet other zany characters, who are all way too eager to help Gail get laid. Everyone commits to the bit, but the stand-out is Deutch, who delivers a campy performance but never makes Gail feel too much like a caricature. John Slattery, who plays a washed up version of himself, is hilarious. He was so convincing I had to look up his projects after to reassure myself that he’s had work since Mad Men. The gang also includes talent agency assistant Caleb (Ben Wang) and retired celerity photography Vincent (Ken Marino). Wang’s had quite the run recently, with The Long Walk and Karate Kid: Legends among his recent projects. He’s amazingly talented and so earnest as Caleb – you’ll find yourself rooting for him to get a promotion and all the good things in life.
The quest gets even more complicated when you throw in a run-in with the mob. Gail accidentally picks up a suitcase that isn’t hers, which makes her a target. Joe Lo Truglio’s Sergio is tasked to track her down and is oftentimes overwhelmed with his investigative duties. Sabrina Impacciatore is great as the mob boss, but the pacing is impacted a little every time we segue into the mob plot – it’s just not as interesting. We’re just more invested in Gail’s journey, especially when she’s got people like ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic chasing her down for trespassing. There’s also a lot of natural chemistry between the cast and they’re believable as a gang of misfits all rooting for Gail to get that Hamm. Not every punchline lands, but the good thing is that there’s so many gags so you’re bound to laugh at something. It was the sequences near the end that got me hooting and hollering – I love it when things just go off the rails.
As funny and silly as the film is, it could use some polish. It’s narrated by Fred Melamed, who plays a mailman for some reason, and there’s no purpose to this choice. Why is he chosen to frame the story? It sometimes feels like Wain and Marino are just throwing jokes at the wall and seeing what sticks. Maybe they thought it was hilarious that the mailman would narrate from inside the mailbox, and while that may earn a laugh, the script needed more form and direction.
What happens when Dorothy and the Wizard get it on? They find a place to call home.
Review screener provided.
REVIEW SCORE: 3.5/5
