Why is the comedy series "I'm not kidding" not only funny, but also makes you think

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The new Russian project easily and ironically tells about modern realities.

On March 4, “KinoPoisk HD” will launch the series “I’m not kidding”, produced by “Studio Sverdlovsk” by Sergei Svetlakov and Alexander Nezlobin.

The script for the series was written by Elena Krasilnikova. And Elena Novikova, who played the main role, helped her. Some of the viewers know her not as an actress, but as a stand-up comedian and winner of the TNT show "Open Microphone".

It may seem that such a list of names hints in advance: "I'm not kidding" will consist entirely of vulgar gags in the spirit of the Comedy Club and other stand-ups. Moreover, Nezlobin seems to have directed himself Kinopoisk is releasing a series with a fictional director. Why? this project, hiding behind the fictitious name of Sasha Tapochek.

However, the first two episodes, which were presented to the press, are pleasantly surprising: it is rather a dramatic work, consisting of small living stories. There is something to laugh at, but in the problems of the heroes, many viewers easily recognize themselves, which makes them think about the serious moments of life.

A very personal story

In the center of the plot stand-up comedian Elena. She is twice divorced, tries to educate and protect her youngest daughter, scolds her eldest son for his excessive passion for computer games. Elena communicates well with her mother-in-law, occasionally quarrels with her ex-husbands and is always looking for ways to improve her financial situation.

In a word, the heroine has a very ordinary life. Except that during her performances she ironically tells the audience about the events of the day.

Of course, it is immediately striking that the idea is somewhat reminiscent of a mixture of "Louis" and "The Amazing Mrs. Maisel." Although they were not the first: back in 1989, "Seinfeld" started, in which the main character from the stage commented on what was happening in the series.

But, fortunately, the similarity is limited by the main idea. "I'm Not Joking" does not copy either plot moves or humor of Western counterparts. But they repeated something else: the reflection in the main character of the actress herself. It was the same with Louis and Seinfeld. However, the plots turned out to be completely different - after all, they were made by different people.

According to Elena Novikova, in the series she retells many details of her own biography: stories about children, husbands, dogs. But, of course, all this is served with a funny grotesque.

Little comedies

It is difficult to judge from the first episodes how the series will develop further. But for now, it looks like a set of sketches from the life of the main character. The first episode just introduces the viewer to the main characters. In the second, Elena is already faced with a problem that needs to be urgently solved. In parallel with the main affairs, she deals with minor troubles, on which humor is built.

This approach provides the stories with liveliness: it is not difficult to find out situations with a forgotten card in a store or a talkative grandmother in a clinic, which is hard to listen to, and it is impolite to turn away. And, perhaps, the main plus of the series is precisely that it does not try to go beyond small daily events.

The episodes can be easily disassembled into separate scenes: some seem exaggerated, others seem to be copied from nature. But everywhere an easy presentation will only remind you more that in reality such moments are not at all fun.

Funny about sad

Although the series is intended to entertain the viewer, a sincere touching drama always slips through the comedy shell. Fortunately, the authors struck the right balance and did not turn what was happening into a very vulgar farce. Although individual scenes, such as a stage performance of naked people, may seem more shocking: they do not always fit into the atmosphere of the action.

Situational humor in the series coexists with textual humor: what happens in the plot is immediately ironically played up in the form of a stand-up performance. Here, each viewer can choose which kind of jokes is closer to him. With the frequency of the stage cuts, they sometimes bend too much. And they don't always sound really funny. Although one of the performances in the second episode hints that sometimes they shouldn't be funny - stand-ups also have failures.

But the life events, divided into small sketches, were mostly successful. Moreover, this is the kind of joke that you first want to laugh at, and then think about a similar situation in ordinary life, such as teaching a child not to trust strangers.

And this is still light humor, without rudeness. He makes you believe in the truthfulness of the emotions of the heroes and helps them to empathize.

I'm Not Joking is a short episode of 20-25 minutes. And this is good. Perhaps, the stories stretched over one hour series would be too tiring with realism. And so the heroes seem to drop in for a short time, quickly tell stories and leave, leaving the viewer to discuss their situations, similar to those on screen.