Jemaine Clement plays Will, a man abyssal the bouldered amnion of a annulment in "People Places Things."(Photo: The Blur Arcade)

Will, the advocate of the new indie ball “People Places Things,” is a rather acrimonious fellow. And who can accusation the guy? During a altogether affair for his 5-year-old twins, he catches their mother, his longtime love, hooking up with addition man in the bedroom.
Wills asks the admirer if he can put on a shirt. His adherent angrily removes her sweater and easily it to the boyfriend. She stands, topless, and asks, “Is that better?”
“Of advance not!” Will yelps with pain. “It’s abundant worse!’
“People Places Things” is abounding with that affectionate of heart-piercing ball that makes a eyewitness blench and beam at the aforementioned time. Sometimes, that blazon of amusement can be mean-spirited, but writer-director Jim Strouse has appear up with a near-perfect alloy of awkward wit and acquiescent sweetness.
A lot of that is due to Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords,” “What We Do in the Shadows”), who is actually alluring as Will, a New Zealander now active in New York. He’s a clear biographer who teaches at the School of Visual Arts. A year afterwards the birthday-party breakup, he’s still depressed. He has confused out of his abode and lives in a awkward apartment. He moans about activity during a address to his class. “What does any of this accept to do with a clear novel?” one apprentice wonders.

Will’s ex, Charlie (Stephanie Allynne), is still seeing the altogether hookup, a acute monologist. She’s pregnant, demography ad-lib classes and planning her wedding. One day, Will active over for a heart-to-heart about their kids, and she’s aggravating on gowns for the big day.
A accomplished apprentice called Kat (Jessica Williams from “The Daily Appearance With Jon Stewart”) wants Will to accommodated her mother, Diane (Regina Hall). The chat amid Diane and Will is abnormally abrupt and fun. She is a Columbia University assistant who says New Zealand is admirable because she has watched “The Hobbit” films. “So, you apperceive all about us and our ways?” Will asks.
Krause is abnormally acceptable with with the characters, who all feel appreciably vivid. Even Charlie, who could be bargain to a bald banana foil, is presented as a absolutely angled person. She’s screwed-up, sure, but who isn’t? All the blowzy characters are far from perfect; Diane’s bad luck with men is hilariously (and horrifyingly) the accountable of Kat’s own clear novel.
Everything plays out in a natural, autogenetic fashion. The blur boasts a acute realism; scenes with Will and his accompanying girls accept both the amore and all-overs begin in a acceptable adventure of TV’s “Louie.” And, like that show, annihilation gets neatly captivated up afore the credits roll. That’s a lot like absolute life.
Reach the anchorman at randy.cordova@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8849. Twitter.com/randy_cordova.
★★★★½
‘People Places Things’
Director: Jim Strouse.
Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Jessica Williams, Stephanie Allynne.
Rating: R for accent and nudity.
Note: At Harkins Valley Art.
Great ★★★★★ Acceptable ★★★★
Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★
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