Review - The Incredible Jessica James

I liked this movie, a lot, it is a charming examination of love, creative passion and believing in yourself. Jessica James is relentlessly herself.  Sure of her passion, theater, unsure of love.

Jessica Williams, half of 2 Dope Queens and The Daily Show gets to play a character that typically goes to Greta Gerwig or Gillian Jacobs. It' refreshing to see a Black woman in a role that doesn't make her race the character's central struggle.

We meet her on a date, 3 months post breakup, still in her feelings and staging dates at a place she know he'll show up. Damon, played by Lakeith Steinfeld (Atlanta and Get Out) plays her ex, and mainly shows up in her dreams or daydreams where she gets to workout her feelings.   Her best friend, Tasha, played by Noel Wells (Master of None) suggests she go on a date to help her get over her ex. Boone, played by Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, IT Crowd) is a recent divorcee and his own issues getting over his ex.  He frequently stands outside her place just looking up at her windows. This pairing is awkward and weird but in a good way, they decide to follow each other's exes on social media as a way of helping each other develop boundaries, it's cute.  Their relationship takes place over walks, dates, and some hook-ups, we see two people trying to navigate something new while still parsing out their feelings from recent heartbreak.  That description sounds sad, but Williams and O'Dowd make it funny.

What I liked most about the film is that while Jessica is figuring out her romantic life she's focused on career as a playwright.  It's not going well, she has a wall of rejection letters above her desk, yet she keeps going.  Teaching at a non-profit children's theater is where we see her passion shine, she's comfortable and genuinely wants these kids to love theater as much she does.  Jessica becomes overly involved with one student, Shandra, and that relationship shows how much she cares about theater and also how she needs to work out her own complicated feelings about family.

This movie is billed as a rom-com but I saw more as a film about a woman figuring out who she is outside of a romantic relationship, (SPOILER ALERT) we learn this is one of the reasons she broke up with her boyfriend. She has a strained relationship with her family, a great, supportive best friend and passion she's pursuing.  She doesn't need a romantic relationship for validation, as evidenced by the end of the film (no spoilers there).  Highly recommend this film.

One quibble, she works for a non-profit in theater and though she lives in "deep Bushwick" can still afford to live alone in a one-bedroom and eat Justin's peanut butter. The economics of characters film and television will always baffle me.