The King of Staten Island
The indie semi-autobiographical film seems to be having a bit of a heyday recently. Last fall, we saw Shia LaBeouf's impressively mature self-reflection in Honey Boy. Just earlier this week, the Yap covered the latest Willem Dafoe/Abel Ferrara venture Tommaso, which seemed to have some elements of self-criticism or examination from Ferrara. Now, goofy SNL underdog Pete Davidson is taking his own starring and screenwriting swing at the "semiautobiopic" (under the directorial leadership of dramedy veteran Judd Apatow) with Netflix's new release, The King of Staten Island, streamable June 12.
Davidson's story is worthy enough: the comedian, just like the film's protagonist Scott, grew up on Staten Island, which Davidson described in 2017 as, "a terrible borough, filled with terrible people,"—a statement that smells strongly of newfound resentment for the familiar. The King paints the borough as a place where everyone is complacent and no one really leaves, except maybe to work a day job in Manhattan. And the same is pretty much true for Scott when we first find him, but he really doesn't seem to mind. Scott is a 24-year-old bum who lives with his mom and has no intention of getting a real job or going anywhere. His only real aspiration is to be a tattoo artist—his love for the art can be seen in the head-to-toe ink he sports (Davidson's real tats)—but even then, he's too lazy and unmotivated to get the money together for an apprenticeship at the local parlor.
Scott's widowed mom, Margie (Marisa Tomei), is gracious enough to let Scott hang around and not do much, though her heart hurts that his mind and talent are being wasted on the bum life. After Scott's firefighter father died in service, his development and ambition have been critically stunted. Meanwhile, his younger and more highly functioning sister Claire (Apatow's own daughter Maude) is heading off to college. But as far as Scott is concerned, everything is fine. He can smoke his days away and tattoo his friends in peace.
That is, until his mom decides to start dating again. Not only that, but her first boyfriend in 17 years is another firefighter, Ray (Bill Burr). Suddenly Scott is faced with the reality that his world is moving on, whether he wants to or not.
The King of Staten Island is structured kind of like a series of interconnected bits, which isn't unusual for a comedy film. But the loose script (penned by Davidson, Apatow, and SNL writer Dave Sirus) and improv-y performances give the film a more relaxed, naturalistic vibe. It's a nice change in style from the typical studio comedy, but the authentic style and tone can sometimes clash with the stiffer, more punchline-focused joke-writing. Frankly, it's not entirely surprising; two-thirds of the writing team are most known for their work on a variety show.
Davidson, Tomei, and Burr, and most of the ensemble give impressive, lived-in performances (seriously, please keep throwing Bill Burr in movies and shows), but sometimes that just doesn't work when the jokes are so clearly set up and delivered as jokes. It can sometimes feel like we're not so much watching people in situations that happen to be funny, as we are watching people trying to be funny in otherwise normal situations. Characters like Ray, who are both very similar in personality to their respective performers and don't usually bear the focus of the comedy in most scenes, get off better. It's an awkward tightrope that I wish Apatow and the gang could have walked more gracefully overall. That being said, however, it's not without its solid laughs and impressive emotionality.
The other main thing keeping the film from its potential is the minimal time it dedicates to Scott's growth as a person. When we first meet him, and for a majority of the film afterward, Scott is a lazy, shortsighted, self-absorbed dickhead. That's not to say he's entirely unappealing; Davidson's goofy charm is often enough to keep you watching. But at a whopping 136 minutes, The King of Staten Island is no quick breeze, especially for a fairly lean and uncomplicated dramedy. And in all that time, I'd estimate I really only saw Scott learn anything or change from his scummy ways in the last fifteen minutes. There's plenty of merit in having a flawed or even unlikable protagonist, but when 80% of your film is other, more reasonable characters beating your protagonist over the head with the idea that he should be a little more considerate and agreeable, things can get tedious. It can also cut into the power of your main character's eventual transformation.
But all that is not to say The King isn't good, so much as just "not all that it could have been." The film's greatest strength is its close proximity to Scott's life and personality. For the most part, it just works, mostly because we're watching Scott stumble through life as though we're right next to him. Sometimes, that makes you wish you could reach through the screen and slap him on the shoulder to stop him from doing or saying something stupid. Sometimes it makes his successes or lessons-learned that much more relatable and heartfelt. Whether painful, relatable, or cringe-inducing, it feels genuine. Even when the comedy falls flat or the pacing drags, it all feels relatively authentic and earnest, and that's a credit to Apatow's sensitive direction and Davidson's ability to convey struggles that he has (presumably) worked through himself in real life. It's no masterpiece, but you'd be hard-pressed to get through this movie without feeling some significant emotional satisfaction or catharsis.
And to that end, The King of Staten Island is effective enough that it left me thinking about my own life—how I got where I am, where I could go, or where I'd like to go—and even the unique struggles of those around me. Scott, as he's quick to tell the other characters, has plenty of his own problems he's dealing with, and his poor attitude is often understandable, even when frustrating as a viewer. I think I could have done without at least 30 minutes of Scott repeatedly not getting the message, or Apatow cramming in another unnecessary gag, but as a total package, The King still moved me. Besides, sometimes life is like that—too slow and repetitive for its own good, but worthwhile anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azkVr0VUSTA&w=585