Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Best Man's Ghostwriter by Matthew Starr

2 reviews

romorel's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was an impromptu listen as recommended by a friend, and I basically got through it in one sitting. 

This story is funny, thoughtful, entertaining, and just profound enough to count while maintaining a buddy dramedy style. 

I could easily picture Vince Vaughn in this cast alongside Owen Wilson.

This could be considered an audio drama (radio play), with it’s plentiful cast and sound editing, which was a welcome shift from the typical audiobook style narration I’m used to. 

Glen Powell as Nate was a pleasure to listen to, and further proved his dynamic acting skills. He can do comedy, he can do drama, he can do it all. 

Some characters stand out for their cadences and impressions, but others may blend together, and with a story focused friendships between men, I found myself a little confused about who was who at times, and felt that in some ways this script may have been better suited for television.

The writing makes polite use of some characteristics that come off as embellished to make up for the visual information we as the audience would have learned from an actor playing the same role on TV, where a more nuanced performance may be better received. 

It’s clear the representation included was done in good faith and understands a scope of identities in queer and radicalized communities, however at some points it seemed (for lack of a better term) a bit silly. The script relies on some traits that may come off as stereotypes, played up to distinguish the characters, for the lack of visual distinguishers. 

It is in this way I often found the story superficial and busy, which was contrasted by quieter, reflective, more grounded moments that felt like a kiddy coaster ride (fun but jarring).

The character of Ash grew on me, as her way of speaking comes off as unserious, but this mellows out as the story goes on. It’s hard to fully commit to she and Nate as a couple for a bit because of that.

With plenty to say, this audio play was entertaining, playful and unsuspectingly sweet. Glen Powell does a wonderful job, and hearing familiar voices such as George Takei and D’arcy Carden, among others, was a treat.

I’ll listen to any other work Glen Powell puts out like this.

Any content warnings listed were mostly in humorous contexts.

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ericacamille85's review

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated

4.0


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