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The To Do List includes plenty of ridiculous (and cringe-inducing) moments that are sure to entertain moviegoers looking for a raunchy teen comedy.
Set in 1993,The To Do Listfollows recently graduated class valedictorian Brandy Klark ( Aubrey Plaza ) who realizes that , in spite of her academic accomplishment and extended extracurricular activities , she has missed out on one central element of her high-pitched shoal experience - intimate experimentation . With only one summer to fascinate up before ship on her freshman year at Columbia University , Brandy trench her pre - college " To Do ’s " in favor of an all - inclusive checklist of carnal turn - with the ultimate goal of sleeping with guitar - play heartthrob Rusty Waters ( Scott Porter ) .
After discover that book smarts have allow her sorely unprepared for the shameful tasks at hand , Brandy elects to seek guidance from her older sister Amber ( Rachel Bilson ) as well as good ( and more experienced ) friends Fiona ( Alia Shawkat ) and Wendy ( Sarah Steele ) . However , as Brandy becomes more ego - empowered , she also becomes more reckless , creating mayhem for her personal relationships - especially when it amount to her ex - science partner Cameron ( Johnny Simmons ) .
Despite a fun ( and raunchy ) setup , paired with a sharp female lead , The To Do Listis a relatively quotidian coming - of - eld / graduation summertime storyline - where a studious fictitious character is throw into one goose situation after another . luckily , some creative choices by writer / manager Maggie Carey , along with an enjoyable ( albeit intimate ) execution from Plaza and a inviolable endure cast help elevate the flick above alike offerings in the raunch - funniness genre . In general , fans of the assembled talent ( which also include Clark Gregg , Donald Glover , and Bill Hader , among others ) should happen enough suitable laugh inThe To Do lean , but many account arc and comedy frame-up rely on jokes and awkward encounters that have been wrap up numerous times before on film - meaning a wad of predictable but still amusing gags .
Even though viewers will in all probability be able to see central plot beats coming in advance of clip , the character inThe To Do Listhelp to flesh out an otherwise received narrative about self - uncovering and teenage intimate experimentation . Brandy ’s quirk serves as a enchant comedic focal power point - and it is genuinely fun watching her character attempt to navigate the world of clumsy ( and horny ) teenage boy . Thematically , The To Do Listpulls double - duty : deliver recognizable young adult spirit lessons with an added layer of distaff empowerment and personal sixth sense - one that does n’t devolve into shallow romanticist clowning cliche by the end . While many of the photographic film ’s moment - to - moment encounters border on derivative , scenes of thoughtful insight are frequent enough forThe To Do Listto extend more than just brainless laughs .
As mentioned , Plaza is a solid wind , but for anyone who has seen her in other roles ( Parks and Recreation , Safety Not insure , etc ) , Brandy is n’t much of a stretch out of Plaza ’s established quilt zona . While the actress ' dead - pan drollery style is a fun juxtaposition forThe To Do Listand its over - the - top gender scene , there are times when the onscreen drama is a short stilted . It ’s not that Plaza is emotionless , nuance is actually one of Brandy ’s more interesting traits ; yet , often enough , underpin cast member deform to make their performances ( and persona ) fit in a shot with Plaza .
Plaza ’s quirky leading ma’am unknowingly pushes side players into one - musical note schema - without any real definition outside of their kinship to Brandy : Waters is the muscly hunk , Cameron is the dainty guy wire , Amber is the sluttish older sib , and Judge Klark ( played by Clark Gregg ) is the psychoneurotic founder . The one supporting role that is explored in a meaningful way is Bill Hader ’s consortium handler Willy - the only other person , in addition to Brandy , that is really give a full character arc . The friendship between Brandy and Willy is one of the unspoiled look ofThe To Do List- thought it ’s pretty at odds with the film ’s basal focus . It ’s an interesting , but mostly disconnected tan , that highlight the metier of the talent need but fails to connect back in a meaningful way .
Despite working in the manufacture for over a tenner , The To Do Listis Carey ’s first feature film - and it show . For easily and for bad , it ’s reset the writer / music director put a lot of affectionateness and mania into the movie . The film successfully conjoin its XC backdrop with retro hipster chic - and even makes sport usage of its substantiation list premiss by punctuating each of Brandy ’s conquests in freezing - anatomy gibe labeled with their respective sex acts . Still , whileThe To Do Listthrows a mickle of originative idea and jokes at the sieve , only a fraction of them are substantive to the larger development of the story and characters - as if Carey did n’t quite complete the correspondence between what to include in the last film and what need to be cut .
That say , The To Do Listincludes plenty of silly ( and cringe - inducing ) minute that are sure to entertain moviegoer looking for a raunchy adolescent drollery . The apparatus may not be as original as it would have been back in the clock time of the picture ’s 1993 mise en scene but there are enough ingenious pa culture references and awkward comedy setup to keep the movie feeling freshly - even when it covers ideas that audiences will have ascertain turn - out onscreen before . Carey ’s coming of age tale is n’t a must see , but with a strong spark advance and some honest insight , filmgoers who are intrigued by the premiss or the assembled cast have good cause to put the movie on their ownTo Do List .
If you ’re still on the fence aboutThe To Do List , check out the red band laggard below :
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This film publicity image released by CBS Films shows Aubrey Plaza portraying Brandy Klark in a scene from “The To Do List.” The film, written and directed by Boise native Maggie Carey, revolves around a Boise teenager named Brandy Klark, a valedictorian of the Class of 1993. Klark, played by “Parks and Recreation” actress Aubrey Plaza, creates a “to do” list of the things she missed out on in high school.(AP Photo/CBS Films, Sam Urdank)
The To Do Listruns 104 minutes and is grade R for permeative warm crude and intimate content including graphic dialogue , drug and inebriant consumption , and language - all require teens . Now playing in theater of operations .
Let us know what you thought of the picture show in the comment section below .
The To Do List is a coming - of - years comedy direct by Maggie Carey , boast Aubrey Plaza as the academically driven Brandy Klark . pose in the early ' 90s , the film follows Brandy as she attempts to gain more life experience before starting college by creating a list of action to complete . The ensemble cast include Johnny Simmons , Bill Hader , and Alia Shawkat , bring to a humorous exploration of teenage oddment and self - discovery .
Aubrey Plaza as Brandy Klark in ‘The To Do List’
Aubrey Plaza and Rachel Bilson in ‘The To Do List’
Donald Glover, Aubrey Plaza, and Johnny Simmons in ‘The To Do List’
The To Do List is a coming-of-age comedy directed by Maggie Carey, featuring Aubrey Plaza as the academically driven Brandy Klark. Set in the early ’90s, the film follows Brandy as she attempts to gain more life experience before starting college by creating a list of activities to complete. The ensemble cast includes Johnny Simmons, Bill Hader, and Alia Shawkat, contributing to a humorous exploration of teenage curiosity and self-discovery.
