Manny Lewis is fun little movie with a simple plot that is easy to follow. The story is nothing new, and follows a successful comedian who wants to meet a woman, and then he meets a woman and some things happen. There are bits of comedy and bits of drama, some happy moments and some sad moments.
There's not much in the way of side plots, and the story at times seems overly simplistic, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The story flows quickly from one scene to the next, with nothing added to pad out the running time. We want to know what happens next and we don't have to wait. The main character is the focus of almost every single scene, which keeps things flowing nicely. The film is short and fun and not too long. And although it is pretty predictable, it is still very enjoyable.
Additionally, it was very nice to see Carl Barron in an acting role. I'm a big fan of his stand-up work, so it was a real treat to watch him in a film. He's actually a pretty decent actor. The film incorporates much of the comedian's work into it, showing him performing onstage. I probably would have rated this film a full star lower if it had featured any other actor in the lead role (if I had even watched it at all) but thankfully it does not.
There's not much in the way of side plots, and the story at times seems overly simplistic, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The story flows quickly from one scene to the next, with nothing added to pad out the running time. We want to know what happens next and we don't have to wait. The main character is the focus of almost every single scene, which keeps things flowing nicely. The film is short and fun and not too long. And although it is pretty predictable, it is still very enjoyable.
Additionally, it was very nice to see Carl Barron in an acting role. I'm a big fan of his stand-up work, so it was a real treat to watch him in a film. He's actually a pretty decent actor. The film incorporates much of the comedian's work into it, showing him performing onstage. I probably would have rated this film a full star lower if it had featured any other actor in the lead role (if I had even watched it at all) but thankfully it does not.