SNL. “Saturday Night Live.” A titan of comedy in the late-night industry and a key launch pad and home for some of the greatest comedians of the past 50 years. Eddie Murphy, Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell and Tina Fey are just a few names synonymous with American comedy, all of whom got their start on this amazing show. However, the story of the show’s start is not often discussed. That is a problem the movie “Saturday Night” attempts to rectify.
Directed by Jason Reitman, who is still riding the fame of his previous projects “Juno” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” this film tells the story of the first time “Saturday Night Live” went on air in 1975. The movie captures the chaotic 90 minutes before the cast went live, as creator Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) scrambles to keep the show on air. Michaels has to deal with everything from camera rigs crashing and sound engineers quitting, to greedy executives attempting to stop his show and disappearing actors. LaBelle plays the part of the neurotic, hopeful-to-a-fault, Michaels to a golden T, masterfully embodying SNL’s creator. He brings us along to witness all the chaos he must bear, with only his estranged wife and head costume designer, Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennot), by his side.
LaBelle isn’t the only amazing performance here, as he’s joined by an absolutely electric ensemble. With stand-out performances such as Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, Nicolas Braun as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner and many more. In a cast this large, it is often impossible to allow for everyone to have enough screen time, but Reitman gives several characters standout arcs by never focusing too long on a single character and often having them grow together, helping to build the group’s chemistry.
There are a few actors that deserve even more praise, more specifically Corey Michael Smith as Chevy Chase and Matt Wood as John Belushi. The two actors embody their roles, with Smith masterfully playing the cocky, up-and-coming comedian and placing all the right pieces that make his eventual fall from stardom even more apparent. Wood, a relative unknown, played the wacky comedian Belushi with all the proper respect and emotion he deserved, cementing himself as a future star.
“Saturday Night” was edited with a lot of quick cuts and zipping cameras to give the film a very energized feel and keep the audience engaged. The camera will shift with swift movements throughout a scene, in rhythm with the score to give it this “living” feeling, like the camera is you, the viewer, following along in first person. Despite the quick pacing, the editing and camera work do pause at key moments to allow for emotional, engaging conversations between cast members. An argument between Chase and NBC golden boy Milton Berle (J. K. Simmons) defines their character as cocky men who only care about fame. A conversation between Michaels and his wife Shuster helps the audience better understand how much Michaels truly cares about this show and how badly he needs it to do well. These are just a few moments that are crucial for this movie, and offer a brief moment of reprieve from the fast pace.
The editing also works in tandem with the writing, elevating each. This film is some of Gil Kenan and Jason Reitmans’ best writing, perfectly capturing the motivations and emotions of all the different characters on screen, allowing for them to throw out long, drawn-out expositional monologues in favor of real and dynamic conversations. This allows the audience to get to learn about these people like they’re a fly on the wall, witnessing greatness.
The score itself is so integral to the film that it might as well be another person on the cast. Jon Baptiste, who plays the legendary R&B musician Billy Preston, produced the jazz-filled, chaotic score on the set, preferring to use a live musical ensemble to better capture the feelings present on the set that fateful day in 1975. Baptiste employs a heavy range of era-appropriate instruments like the keyboard, trumpets, electric guitar and a slew of drums to capture a high-energy, jumping feel, which perfectly encapsulates the film.
This movie is truly lightning in a bottle. Everything from the wonderful writing and directing to an ensemble cast where every single person seems to hit the mark on their real-life characters makes this movie feel magical. In an age where most biopics feel long and drawn out, “Saturday Night” is 109 minutes of pure comedic talent and an homage to the history of late night and its humble beginnings. It captures the feeling of a Saturday night, where a long week of work and boredom can turn into something unforgettable.
