Comedy is hard and great satire is even harder. Yet this comedic
diamond in the rough, The Executive, is one of the smartest, funniest
and most entertaining films of 2020. And that is saying a lot.
The Executive is played by an unknown actor named Mitch Wolfe, who plays
a hustling small time film producer named Mitch Wolfe. I am not
familiar with Wolfe or his previous film work, but he plays the lead character with a natural self-confidence of a very experienced thespian. This is a character-driven film and the humor flows naturally from the character of Wolfe and the other wonderful characters like Franco the Baker and the Joanne character who also inhabit this very witty movie.
Wolfe is clearly ambitious and driven to make great films and to become romantically involved with his lead actresses, which is terribly politically incorrect in Hollywood today. But this Wolfe character
has a certain charm and vulnerability, so his flawed efforts of casting couch his
lead actresses has a certain contrarian and unconventional appeal.
The Joanne character is brilliantly cast. Wolfe is clearly smitten with this woman and tries to wine and dine her without much success. As Wolfe patronizes her and pretends to care for her interests, Joanne brilliantly puts Wolfe down, "I am a big girl. I can take of myself."
When Wolfe naturally grabs her behind, Joanne
transforms herself within seconds from laughing flirtatiously to an angry
avenger as she without warning defends herself by grabbing Wolfe's throat
in one of the funniest scenes in this very funny movie.
The Mitch Wolfe/Franco The Baker, relationship is also memorable. This
funny odd couple is more humorous and more
natural than most guy friendships in more well-known buddy movies or buddy tv series.
Though the Wolfe character is desperately seeking true love with a bevy
of actresses, the chemistry between these two on again and off again friends,
Francesco and Lewis ( Wolfe and Franco) is clearly evident on screen.
The Executive will grab you by your funny bone. The acting is natural
and authentic. The Mitch Wolfe character is continually boasting
that he is the New Hollywood. This statement is funny, ridiculous, delusional
but perhaps contains some truth as well. This is a film worth watching!