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    Mondo Cinema

    Lake Bell finds the funny in voice-over movie: In a World... makes even Eva Longoria entertaining

    Joe Leydon
    Aug 23, 2013 | 3:02 pm

    In a world where talented but underemployed people often become multitaskers to control their own destiny . . . Lake Bell has given herself a world-class showcase, and created something hugely entertaining in the bargain, by writing, directing and starring in… In a World…

    Even if you recall her scene-stealing turns in What Happens in Vegas and It’s Complicated . . . even if you’ve been amused by her antics in the cable series Children’s Hospital . . . you won’t be prepared for her pitch-perfect performance in this wise and witty dramedy.

    She triumphs over adversity . . . defies conventionality . . . strikes a blow for non-sexist rationality . . .

    Like many of the better screen comedies, In a World… is at heart a coming-of-age story about a character who gradually, sometimes painfully, emerges out of arrested adolescence.

    And if you’ve ever wondered about the folks who spout such hyperbolic come-ons for a living on every other movie trailer you’ve ever seen . . . well, you’ll have even more reason to sing Lake Bell’s praises for In a World… (showing at Sundance Cinemas in Houston).

    Bell smartly cast herself — and wrote some very funny dialogue for herself — as Carol Solomon, a struggling thirtysomething voice-over artist, who’s still living at home with her father, Sam (Fred Melamed), a living legend in the world of voice-over artistry, and feeling more than a little uncomfortable and intimidated while in his imposing shadow.

    Dad is the worst sort of overbearing egotist — that is, the kind who assumes he is irresistibly charming even while he’s at his most selfish — but grant him this: He indirectly shakes Carol out of her day-to-day drudgery of complacency and underachievement when he tells her it’s time to move out of his place. To be sure, he does this for typically self-serving reasons — he wants Carol out of the way so his much younger girlfriend (Alexandra Holden) can move in — but the eviction serves not only as a means to propel the plot, but also as additional incentive for Carol to push even harder to establish herself in a field traditionally dominated by men like her father.

    And, not incidentally, like Gustav Werner (Ken Marino), Sam’s evident heir apparent in the world of voice-overing, a preening cad whose charms make him unfortunately irresistible, briefly, to Carol.

    Movie Characters Galore

    Like many (if not most) of the better screen comedies these days, In a World… is at heart a coming-of-age story about a character who gradually, sometimes painfully, emerges out of arrested adolescence. But even though Carol is a captivating and fascinating lead character, and even though Bell the actor plays her with immensely appealing charm and an impressive arsenal of comedic skills, Bell the writer-director is too savvy and generous a filmmaker to make Carol the sole focus in In a World…

    Among the well-cast and vividly drawn satellites in Carol’s orbit: Dani (Michaela Watkins), Carol’s sister, who’s just discontent enough with her predictable life to consider an assignation with a guest at the hotel where she works; Moe (Rob Corddry), Dani’s supportive but unexciting husband, whose reaction to his wife’s contemplation of infidelity provides one of the movie’s most potent emotional impacts; Louis (Demetri Martin), a sound engineer who’s sweet on Carol, but too nice a guy to immediately make his intentions known; and Eva Longoria, who’s a tremendously good sport about playing . . . well, herself.

    In a World… persuasively depicts various specifics of the world where Sam is a god, Gustav is an ascending star, and Carol would settle for being gainfully employed. (In addition to detailing voice-over work for trailers, the film also includes glimpses at similar voice-overing for commercials and video games, and vocal coaching for actors who should really think twice about attempting accents.) The quirks and competitiveness of this world seem as real — and as engaging — as the idiosyncrasies and aspirations of the characters who populate it.

    In other words: Chalk up In a World… as a triumph on both sides of the cameras for Lake Bell.

    In a world where indie filmmakers still take the personal approach to the publicizing their pictures.. Lake Bell visited Houston a few weeks ago to promote In a World… She introduced a preview screening at the Sundance Cinemas, then stuck around for a Q&A hosted by a fellow who, as you will see in this video, probably will never land his own voiceover gig, in this or any other world.

    Demetri Martin and Lake Bell in a scene from In A World.

    Demetri Martin and Lake Bell In A World
      
    ReleaseDonkey.com
    Demetri Martin and Lake Bell in a scene from In A World.
    unspecified
    news/entertainment

    Mr. Bentsen goes to Washington

    New podcast celebrates legacy of Houston politician Sen. Lloyd Bentsen

    Jef Rouner
    Feb 28, 2025 | 4:30 pm
    A selection of Sen. Lloyd Bentsen Memorabilia from the podcast launch party
    Photo provided by the Bentsen Family
    Sen. Lloyd Bentsen's legacy of public service is memorialized in a new six-part podcast.

    Sen. Lloyd Bentsen was a towering figure in the Democratic Party and a Houston icon. His family is now producing a six-part podcast celebrating his legacy.

    “My father’s accomplishments in Texas and then in Washington truly changed the course of history,” Lan Bentsen, Sen. Bentsen’s son, said in a statement. “His policies led to the greatest peacetime economic expansion in American history. His full story has never been told, and we believe that no matter your political affiliation, you will find hope and motivation in this podcast.”

    The podcast, dubbed The Bentsen Blueprint, draws on a wealth of transcripts and tapes discovered by his family after Bentsen's death in 2006. With the help of Texas Tribune political reporter Elise Hu, excerpts from the tapes are woven together with interviews from Bentsen's friends and colleagues to give a deeper understanding of Bentsen's remarkable political career.




    Bentsen was a well-known dealmaker who reached across the political divide on many issues. The podcast shows Bentsen's skill at bipartisanship and possibly offers a guidebook for accomplishing things in one of the most politically-divisive periods in American history. The show also tackles Bentsen's economic policies, which helped create a surplus during the Clinton years by reducing the national deficit by $500 billion and creating 5 million new jobs.

    Bentsen was born in Mission, but spent most of his five-decade political career in Houston. He served in World War II as a pilot, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross. Bentsen was elected to the Senate in 1970, the second-to-last Democrat to do so in Texas. He served there until he left to become Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton.

    The senator is also part of one of the most famous verbal comebacks in American political history. When he was picked to be Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis's vice presidential candidate in the 1988 presidential election, he debated Sen. Dan Quayle, who was fielding attacks about his youth and fitness for office. When Quayle remarked he was the same age as President John F. Kennedy when he was elected, Bentsen replied: "I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Politicians have been trying to match that verbal drubbing ever since.

    Listen to The Bentsen Blueprint on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.



    historylloyd bentsenpodcastpoliticssen lloyd bentsen
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