Whilst his mother seeks treatment in rehab, teenager Nick comes to New York to stay with Cal, a Jazz musician friend of his late father’s. During his stay, he makes friends who show him what the city has to offer.
For a relatively new actor, Alex Wolff has been in some popular films. With the “The Cat and the Moon,” he makes his writing/directing debut about a rather dead subject, JAZZ. Wolff was excellent in the horror masterpiece “Hereditary” so I was curious to see what he would do with this story and his character. To be clear, I’m a fan of classical jazz and documentaries but a dramatic story with a jazzy background isn’t enticing. To be fair, I really enjoyed Spike Lee’s “Mo’ Better Blues” starring Denzel Washington. In that film, Washington plays a trumpeter navigating his career and a dicey love triangle that he’s backed himself into. When “La La Land” was released, I was rolling my eyes at the poorly written dialogue. Because let’s be honest, who the hell under thirty years old wants to watch a contemporary jazz tale? That being said, I put my expectations to the side.
Nick (Alex Wolff) arrives in lower Manhattan, and after begrudgingly paying his cab fare, he asks the driver to sell him weed. Nick is staying with Cal (Mike Epps in a rare dramatic role), a fellow musician who knew Nick’s now-deceased father. On his way up to his new apartment, he has a meet-cute with his new neighbor Eliza (Stefania LaVie Owen). Cal asks about Nick’s mother who’s relapsed and is recovering in rehab, and he only gets a vague reply. The next morning Nick attends his first day of school and becomes fast friends with Seamus (Skyler Gisnondo) and Russel (Tommy Nelson). When he returns to the apartment Cal and a filmmaker are editing video footage of his father Mike (Christopher Abbot) for an upcoming documentary. In the video, Mike seems sensitive, agitated, and dark, fitting for an artist, and Nick seems moved by the experience.
The new group of friends invites him to a house party and Eliza (surprise, surprise) happens to be attending as well. They play some music on the piano and Nick gets to showcase his snazzy piano playing by covering classical pieces and Celine Dion hits. It’s a sweet scene that feels genuine and helps shape the mostly thin characters. The best character is Seamus, played by the exceptionally hilarious and charismatic Skyler Gisnondo. He’s been a standout comedic presence in “Santa Clarita Diet” and “Righteous Gemstones” but unfortunately, he isn’t fully utilized in this film. Mike Epps isn’t too shabby either but the dialogue, while written in a naturalistic voice, just feels dull and underwhelming. Russell is unpredictable in his wildcard role and I’ve noticed that actor has been playing dirtbag roles very well lately. The group of friends continues to party, getting in fights and trying to sleep with any ladies that give them the slightest bit of attention. All the while Nick is trying to enjoy life but not end up like his parents.
It’s currently 2020 so it’s safe to say there’s no longer a need for any dramatic films or shows about Jazz. I welcome documentaries and concert footage but that’s it! Luckily, “The Cat and the Moon” isn’t fully bogged down in music but there’s something missing. It’s not a bad or good film, there are some solid elements but none really come together in a cohesive manner. Alex Wolff shows some potential for a writing/directing debut but I don’t think the world needs a follow-up from him.
Now available on a Special Edition Blu-ray
