‘The King of Staten Island’ is a sharp comedy in its pacing, delivery of jokes and in exposing serious themes, such as anxiety, resentment and fear of moving on. Judd Apatow is better known for delivering light hearted humour with stories about cheery individuals. ‘The King of Staten Island’ is very much a comedy, but with a shift in tone towards discussing more serious issues.
The film revolves around Scott, a 20-something year old who spends his days hanging out with his friends and smoking weed. As his little sister, Claire, moves out to start college and his mother, Margie, starts dating Ray, a firefighter, Scott is forced to deal with unresolved issues stemming from losing his father at a young age.
The opening of the film introduces Scott, as he drives down a freeway with his eyes closed, as a troubled young man, evoking both depression and anxiety as he almost causes a car crash. Shortly thereafter we meet his group of friends, illustrating a somewhat safe space for him to feel comfortable in without being challenged or forced to change in any way. We are also introduced to Kelsey, Scott’s love interest. Through their interaction, it is revealed that Scott is afraid to commit to anyone in a meaningful way, stating his depression an other underlying mental issues as a reason for not fully committing to a serious relationship with Kelsey.
As we meet Margie, a quiet and reserved suburban mom, a somewhat distant relationship between Scott and his mother is revealed. The two care for each other, but find it hard to communicate. When interacting with Claire, the film showcases how Scott is viewed by those closes to him; - with worry about his future and continuous concern about his well-being. The introduction of Ray changes Scotts’ life. He is faced with taking on more responsibility and is asked to move out of his mother’s house. Reacting negatively to the news, Scott is finally faced with coping in the real world and facing his feelings towards losing his father.
The film is a departure for Apatows’ usual happy-go-lucky comedy style, as ‘The King of Staten Island’ explores more serious ideas of anxiety towards ones future, fear of failure and the inability to move forward in one’s life after losing someone. The writing for the film, delivered by Apatow, Pete Davidson and Dave Sirus, speaks volumes on arrested development and explores the turmoil an individual in Scotts position is going through. Even though the themes may seem heavy, the film is a fun ride. There are amazing side-splitting scenes that successfully accentuate the at times ridiculous characters and provide relief after a more serious revelation. The laughs feel well deserved and unforced.
Pete Davidson successfully delivers a character embodying deep-seeded frustration and fear over how his life is unfolding and how he is perceived by those around him. Davidson conveys an underlying worry that many people may face regarding their future and in establishing a clear path forward. As the story progresses, we see a deep exploration of the character as Scott moves on from fear of his life changing to facing the responsibility and opportunity that leading an independent life can bring.
Margie, as portrayed by Marisa Tomei, delivers a great character that could have easily been side-tracked and written off as a one-note suburban mom. However, Margie is a fully realised individual encompassing an initially shy woman who later dives into exploring her own wants and needs. The character comes full circle to ending the journey with her son on good terms and having rediscovered her independence along the way. Bill Burr portrays Ray, a divorced firefighter with a somewhat brash personality. The comedian delivers a great performance, occasionally peppering in his signature style in approaching a rant and helps the audience alleviate some tension we may feel towards Scott and his under-achiever attitude.
The film makes good use of a range of supporting characters that successfully support the varying viewpoints of individual characters. For example, Scotts circle of friends serves well in delivering great rants and illustrating the stagnant lifestyle Scott has become accustomed to. Equally, Margie’s cousin serves as a voice for suggesting change to her life, to move on and seek out what she wants. Another great element of the film is the group of firefighters that Scott becomes close with through Ray, serving as a great way to commemorate someone, as they knew his father. Through reminiscing and telling stories to Scott about his father, the scene serves well as a staple to the type of movie this is – a comedy that is not afraid to approach difficult subject matter and remain entertaining at the same time.
The film has no clear protagonist or antagonistic labels, but rather it showcases the mix of circumstances and feelings that make up the complex characters, expressing their emotions to varying degrees of inflammatory and consoling statements drawing a fully realised cast of characters.
‘The King of Staten Island’ is a good comedy film. It has dark undertones, surfacing every once in a while, however the film remains a comedy at its core, delighting the viewer with well delivered lines from the entire cast.
Score: 3/4
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