Saturday Night Review

“Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” are words that have been spoken for many a Saturday for nearly fifty years now on London Film Festival this year – builds up to, painting the picture of what you can only imagine would be one hell of a chaotic night.

Time is running out for producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) and a troupe of young comedians and writers to perfect their show, as they head towards the first live broadcast of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. With ninety minutes to go until showtime, this film starts as it means to go on – a boiling pot of egos that need stroking and personalities destined to clash to get this show on the road. Its relentless and chaotic nature is captured wonderfully by some slick writing from Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman, and Reitman’s direction which is easily some of his best work. Regular breaks for the clock to be shown are an inspired choice and add further to the frenetic narrative, almost as if we are watching Jack Bauer trying to save the world yet again in 24.

The rush of the countdown to going live is counteracted by the slick cinematography from Eric Steelberg, long takes through realised sets brought to life with such fantastic production value. It brings a much-needed calmness to what can be a stressful watch at times, especially when the editing from Nathan Orloff and Shane Reid, as well as Jon Batiste’s score, just keeps reminding the audience that time is running out. This is as close as we’ll get to being a fly on the wall to an event like this and the results are simply a great time at the movies.

The film is nothing though without the ensemble cast consisting of some of the finest young talent in the industry you can be sure to see a lot more of over the next few decades. Gabriel LaBelle in particular does a lot of the heavy lifting in bringing some seriousness to proceedings as Lorne Michaels, his reputation and career on the line with such a risky project. LaBelle flits so well between seeming like he’s having the time of his life one moment to putting out fires everywhere the next. Of course, it wouldn’t be a successful film if there wasn’t a humorous side to it all; the likes of Cory Michael Smith, Lamorne Morris, Rachel Sennott, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, and Andrew Barth Feldman all having much fun with the material. The doubled presence of Nicholas Braun as Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman was a bit distracting though and not a choice that makes much sense in all honesty.

Saturday Night Live has seen some of the most famous faces of each respective era it has graced host the show and there’s sure to have been plenty of stories behind the scenes that could be told however, the night it all started just feels like the perfect route to go.

★★★★

Screened as the Surprise Film at this year’s 2024 BFI London Film Festival / In UK cinemas January 31st / Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Lamorne Morris, Cooper Hoffman, Willem Dafoe, J. K. Simmons / Dir: Jason Reitman / Sony Pictures / 15