Sunday, May 28, 2023
Green Reporter
  • Home
  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Filmmaking
  • Food
  • Investment
  • Management
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transportation
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Filmmaking
  • Food
  • Investment
  • Management
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transportation
No Result
View All Result
Green Reporter
No Result
View All Result
Home Filmmaking

Review: Bo Burnham – Inside

GrR by GrR
July 17, 2021
in Filmmaking
0
Review: Bo Burnham – Inside
57
SHARES
248
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Going into Bo Burnham’s new special, I was expecting some cool cinematography and a few musings about mental health and lockdown amid jokes about Instagram and sexting; after all, that is what Twitter had led me to believe Inside was, but it turned out to be so much more. Instead, Inside was just as much documentary and diary as it was a comedy special, documenting Robert’s (Burnham’s real name, which he uses to separate the person from the performer) declining mental health as lockdown dragged on. Throughout the special, it became increasingly clear that making it was not just a form of artistic expression, but a coping mechanism.

Inside is hyperaware of its context

Inside opens with a shot of Bo silently entering a small room populated with a single chair and keyboard, prefacing the isolation felt throughout the film and the year in general. Inside is hyperaware of its context, with Bo asking the question ‘should I be joking at a time like this?’. Throughout the special, Bo deals with current world issues such as climate change, performative activism, and inequality alongside more light-hearted themes, such as Instagram, and FaceTiming family members. As the special goes on, however, Bo opens up more about his declining mental health, and particularly the impact of the pandemic on his wellbeing.

After worsening anxiety, Bo took a break from performing live shows in 2016, using this break to direct the brilliant Eighth Grade and star opposite Carey Mulligan in the Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman. At the beginning of 2020, he decided he was ready to return to the stage. Of course, this did not happen, and the lack of live audience for Inside is felt not just by the audience, but by Bo as well. The eerie laugh tracks that are occasionally cut in serve as a reminder of how strange the situation we have all found ourselves in is. While the lack of audience does feel a little strange at first, Burnham makes up for it by taking advantage of techniques that would not be available to him onstage, such as the YouTube-style reaction video he makes to his own song.

Bo’s honesty about his mental health feels refreshing, but at times can feel a little too personal, with Bo really baring his soul for millions of viewers. The showings of mental health struggles sometimes go a little too far and watching feels a little invasive, like watching a therapy session rather than a comedy special. However, making Inside clearly helped both Bo and many viewers. As mental health has, in theory, been a big talking point over the last few years, depictions have often focused on people just being a little sad and stressed, so it is a change to see a successful individual honestly depicting the debilitating nature of depression that cannot just be fixed with a little ‘self-care’.

[‘All Eyes On Me’] is the musical highlight of the special, and perhaps Burnham’s whole career

As a musical comedian, Burnham obviously incorporates songs into Inside, which are not only funny and profound, but also genuinely good music. ‘Welcome to the Internet’ would not feel out of place coming out of the mouth of a Disney villain, and ‘Shit’ (which has gone viral on TikTok) puts the way many of us have felt over the past 18 months into words. It is ‘All Eyes On Me’, however, that is the musical highlight of the special, and perhaps Burnham’s whole career. After watching the full special, I have found myself streaming the album again and again to relive the full experience.

Good songs that are both funny and meaningful are what we have come to expect from Burnham, but his filmmaking skills are really on show in Inside. Despite entirely being filmed in one room, Inside has some of the year’s best cinematography mostly created with lighting and projectors. Throughout the special, a variety of images are projected onto Bo, from the word ‘balls’ to an anti-suicide message, making the world of Inside feel larger than just the one room.

Verdict:

A deeply personal reflection on lockdown and the way it has impacted the world as a whole and Robert Pickering Burnham individually, Inside may not be the funniest comedy special ever made, but it is certainly one of the most thought-provoking. Through his use of music and visual images, Bo Burnham’s insular Inside feels bigger than how it started.

9/10


Bo Burnham: Inside is available for streaming now on Netflix 


Looking for more recent releases from Netflix? Have a look at this selection from Redbrick Film: 

Review: Moxie

Review: Malcolm and Marie

Review: The Dig



Source link

Previous Post

Deadly floods shook Europe. Is it ready for future climate change-related disasters?

Next Post

Mexico Drastically Eases Enforcement in Vaquita ‘Zero Tolerance’ Area

GrR

GrR

Green Reporter is a global source for news of sustainability, green industry, green technology, clear energy, sustainable food production, and green investments. Our aim is to deliver the best news and information to you.

Next Post
Mexico Drastically Eases Enforcement in Vaquita ‘Zero Tolerance’ Area

Mexico Drastically Eases Enforcement in Vaquita ‘Zero Tolerance’ Area

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Climate change in our backyard: Manitoba begins to grapple with the consequences – Winnipeg

Climate change in our backyard: Manitoba begins to grapple with the consequences – Winnipeg

August 10, 2021
Repsol starts marketing debut sustainability-linked bond sale

Repsol starts marketing debut sustainability-linked bond sale

June 29, 2021
Sustainability Ambitions Soaring at KCI

Sustainability Ambitions Soaring at KCI

December 6, 2021
Chris Pratt explains where the White Spikes originated

Chris Pratt explains where the White Spikes originated

July 3, 2021
Stop burning our rights! What governments and corporations must do to protect humanity from the climate crisis – World

Stop burning our rights! What governments and corporations must do to protect humanity from the climate crisis – World

Biden said to mull dropping corporate tax hike to fund jobs plan

Biden said to mull dropping corporate tax hike to fund jobs plan

Global investors pressure Asian utilities to cut emissions

Global investors pressure Asian utilities to cut emissions

Global inequity could derail path to net zero

Global inequity could derail path to net zero

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

August 12, 2022
Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

August 12, 2022
EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

August 12, 2022
Immune system insights and Thai climate calculator: News from the College | Imperial News

Immune system insights and Thai climate calculator: News from the College | Imperial News

August 12, 2022

Recent News

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

August 12, 2022
Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

August 12, 2022
EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

August 12, 2022
Immune system insights and Thai climate calculator: News from the College | Imperial News

Immune system insights and Thai climate calculator: News from the College | Imperial News

August 12, 2022

Recent News

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

August 12, 2022
Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

August 12, 2022
EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

August 12, 2022

Browse by Category

  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Filmmaking
  • Food
  • Investment
  • Management
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transportation

Follow Us

  • Privacy & Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

© 2021 Copyright Green Reporter

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Filmmaking
  • Food
  • Investment
  • Management
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transportation

© 2021 Copyright Green Reporter