"In a World ..." (2013)

Lake Bell is one those talents who's been floating around the film industry for awhile with no one really sure how to utilize her. It's the story of countless performers, especially female ones. Bell decided to take things into her own hands, writing and directing a film, In a World..., perfectly suited for her, but also for many of those she has fill out supporting roles (This is some of the best work Rob Corddry and Demetri Martin have ever done). While providing some humorous insight into the ironically little talked about voice-over industry, Bell tells a story about a woman, Carol (played by Bell), struggling to make it by in a male dominated profession. There's romance and goofy, lighthearted subplots, but it's also a razor-sharp witted look at the sexism built into the entertainment business (but the film also taps into larger, more problematic gender expectations). The voiceover industry has literally caused women to be voiceless and Bell contends that how we use our ability to speak matters just as much as that ability itself.

Grade: ★★★