Toronto Film Festival: For every joke that lands and song that soars in Rebel Wilson’s “The Deb,” many more fall flat
Of all the projects Rebel Wilson could have taken on for her directorial debut, there’s much about “The Deb” that makes sense. Based on a largely well-received stage musical, it’s got a sturdy if straightforward premise about the fictional town of Dunburn, Australia with all the many distinct characters that call it home and the outsider protagonist who finds herself part of the community.
There is plenty of room for heartfelt charm, chaotic shenanigans and more biting observations about its culture clash to be explored, though rarely does “The Deb” capitalize on this. It’s a meandering experience defined by the broadest of narrative strokes, cardboard cutout characters and musical numbers that start fun before growing more oddly obligatory in nature.
With all that in mind, while “The Deb” is unlikely ever to be considered one of the great movie musicals, it still has a smattering of playful gags that make it hard to fully dismiss. When the film, written by Hannah Reilly with additional writing by Wilson (the latter credit being part of an ongoing dispute), is an unabashed comedy, you almost are willing to dance along with its flaws. When it tries to find dramatic beats, it loses its rhythm, leaving you wishing that it could capture the spark of when Wilson was in the imperfect but still superior “Pitch Perfect.
