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In a World ...

Play trailer Poster for In a World ... R Released Aug 9, 2013 1h 33m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 130 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A vocal coach (Lake Bell) competes with her own father and his main rival for a prestigious gig doing the voice-over on a trailer for a big-budget movie.
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In a World ...

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Critics Consensus

A funny, well-written screwball satire for film buffs, In a World... proves an auspicious beginning for writer, director, and star Lake Bell.

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Critics Reviews

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Andi Zeisler Bitch Media In a World questions just what about any voice is authentic and valuable. And with any luck, it'll be Bell's own calling card to more voiceover work. Jan 20, 2021 Full Review Adam Nayman Sight & Sound The simplicity of the film's plot leaves plenty of breathing room for the cast to just bounce lines and looks off one another, which they do with the relaxed aplomb of an alt-comedy all-star team. Jul 31, 2018 Full Review Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online The outline of the film shows a lot of potential for [Lake] Bell's future directorial projects, and ability to bring out the authenticity in her characters and cast, but the execution leaves much to be desired. Rated: C+ Sep 6, 2017 Full Review Michael Clark Epoch Times What Bell accomplished with “World” exists in the minds of every aspiring filmmaker: Give me a chance and I’ll make a great movie. Creating one very special movie is rare, and far better than churning out one below average, forgettable film after another. Rated: 4.5/5 Jul 5, 2024 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com ...a sprightly indie comedy, with smart performances from the cast, notably Bell who has crafted a story to her own likable talents... Rated: 4/5 Mar 10, 2021 Full Review Tyler Smith Battleship Pretension ...most directors' first films do not have the basis of quality that this movie has. I'm excited to see her next film, but, in the meantime, we have In a World... If you have the opportunity to see it, I recommend that you do. Feb 25, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Nigel S It was dire! The trailer and ratings made it look positive, but the movie was an angst-ridden urban melodrama with no laughs. Horrible! Don't watch! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/18/24 Full Review bekah b This movie is perfection. It has humor and heart, characters that are facing real challenges, and I really related to the dynamic with the eccentric and self centered father. The characters are zany and endearing. It has several love story threads but never gets cheesy. The dialogue is delightfully fresh and amazing. This is one of my all time favorite movies. It has so many great elements and memorable moments and I find myself thinking of it often and then I want to watch it again. It stands up well to multiple watches. It's just solid and has so many layers there is a lot you don't catch in the first viewing. Lake Bell is absolutely brilliant! Watch it, you won't regret it. But start early because as soon as it ends you will probably want to watch it again. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/28/23 Full Review Ola G Sam Sotto is a Hollywood actor who is known as "king of voice-overs" for his extensive narration and voice-over work. He has recently published an autobiography and is about to receive a lifetime achievement award upon turning 60. His 31-year-old daughter, Carol Solomon (Lake Bell), is a struggling vocal coach who has always been overshadowed by her father. Carol agrees to help Eva Longoria to loop her accent as a British mob boss wife. Sam forces Carol to move out of his house so that he can live with his girlfriend Jamie, who is a year younger than Carol. Carol leaves to stay with her older sister Dani and her husband Moe. An upcoming film series, The Amazon Games, plans to bring back the "In a world..." line made famous by the late Don LaFontaine. The trailer voice-over is highly sought after. Sam bows out so that his friend and heir-apparent, Gustav Warner, can assume the role, but Gustav develops laryngitis and fails to show up to a temp track recording. Carol happens to be at the studio doing other work with engineer Louis, and she substitutes for Gustav. Katherine Huling, the series' executive producer, decides she wants Carol for the job instead. Carol also gets other voice-over work, but she neglects to tell her self-absorbed father about her newfound success. Gustav and Sam feel entitled and are dismissive of the unknown woman who "stole" the job from them... Rotten Tomatoes consensus is, "A funny, well-written screwball satire for film buffs, In a World... proves an auspicious beginning for writer, director, and star Lake Bell." A.O. Scott of The New York Times praised Bell, writing that she "plays Carol with a perfect blend of diffidence, goofiness and charm, has written and directed an insightful comedy that is much more complex and ambitious than it sometimes seems." While noting that Bell is a former contributor to the publication, The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy comments that the film is "a lively, sometimes very funny comedy" that offers an "amusing peek into a seldom-visited corner of showbiz," that is the world of Hollywood voice-over talent. McCarthy describes Sam as "genial and intimidating" and Carol as a "charming, neurotic live wire" who is also "shapely and quick-witted." Carol "has great delivery herself and is wonderful with accents and dialects," according to McCarthy. McCarthy notes that "all the actors pop with well-defined personalities," but that Melamed "formidably dominates" the film. "In A World" has been sitting in my DVD shell for several years and finally I took it out and watched it. What a great little gem written, directed and co-produced by the lovely and talented Lake Bell! The film's title was inspired by the phrase used by Don LaFontaine to start many film trailers. According to Bell, almost no notable film trailers have employed female voice-over talent except for Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), which used Melissa Disney. Bell had been intrigued that the prototypical "omniscient" voice behind film trailers was male. This inspired her to write a story in which a female protagonist sought to overcome this prejudice, resulting in her feature-length writing, directing, and producing debut.(via Wikipedia) I felt that this storyline is great in many ways and due to Lake Bell´s multiple talents she has created a very entertaining and enjoyable film that is funny, quirky and has a solid message in terms of how male dominated the voice-over world is. She really breathes life into Carol Solomon and the rest of the ensemble cast adds so much to the film as well. See it! Trivia: In a World... won Best Screenplay at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it debuted on January 20. Bell said she felt she had already won simply by being accepted for competition at Sundance. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/06/23 Full Review steve d Bell is great but there isn't a lot here. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review constanze r Smart, funny and refreshing. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review jaime h So freaking funny and great! Lake Bell knocks it out of the park on her directorial debut -- not to mention her writing and acting... A+++++ Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A vocal coach (Lake Bell) competes with her own father and his main rival for a prestigious gig doing the voice-over on a trailer for a big-budget movie.
Director
Lake Bell
Producer
Eddie Vaisman, Jett Steiger, Lake Bell, Mark Roberts
Screenwriter
Lake Bell
Distributor
Roadside Attractions
Production Co
3311 Productions, Team G, More Films
Rating
R (Sexual References|Language)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 9, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 14, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.0M
Runtime
1h 33m
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