Oh, Lake Bell, you are so awesome! To write and direct a film this good and not only star in it, but to do so while rocking some really unflattering outfits! Her character, Carol, gets to wear one nice outfit but otherwise is shown in sweats, boxer shorts and overalls—who can look good in overalls?
She made some wonderful casting choices. I loved the freshness of the performances; they seemed almost ad-libbed and a little messy, like there had been very little rehearsal and limited takes. Dimitri Martin plays an awkward love interest and his character seems refreshingly sweet and nerdy.
There’s a rival voice-over actor played by Ken Marino and his character goes full, LA sleaze. It’s a great contrast and quite comical. There are a few actors that I like immediately because there’s something about them physically that reminds me of one of my favorite actors, Nathan Fillion. Ken Marino is in that category for me. All the supporting characters are well-drawn, even if they only have limited screen time. Rob Corddry and Michaela Watkins are wonderful as the couple that takes Carol in just as their own relationship falters.
It was great fun to see Geena Davis as a producer who hires Carol and she has a little speech that aligns nicely with her activist leanings (http://www.seejane.org/). Lake Bell herself has said, “I did accents and funny voices for the family when I was growing up. I’m passionate about the sexy-baby vocal virus affecting a generation of women. The two things that hit you when you meet someone are, first, how they’re visually put together and then, what they tell you with the tone of their voice – whether or not they’re to be taken seriously.”
I hope that with this film, Ms. Bell will be taken seriously!
Rating: 3 Fanta sodas
Bechdel Rating: this is a woman trying to make a career for herself and her relationship with a man is only secondary! A+
Drinks with films 
I got to see “In a World” back in September and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Definitely one of my more enjoyable experiences at the cinema. It’s well cast, Bell directs it in this slow, methodical method of a lot of independent films that allows the actors to dictate the scenes, rather than it be done with flashy cuts. I enjoyed the message and was glad that a film like this did not get preachy or up its own butt with its message. I’d counter with the lack of female voice over artists argument the movie makes by pointing to voices like Jennifer Hale, Tara Strong, Wendee Lee and Arleen Sorkin, but I enjoyed the relationships Carol has not just with her father, but the production crew. Also, very funny. I wasn’t a giant fan of the subplot with Carol’s sister since it didn’t add to the overall story and felt like easy drama, but it wasn’t thrown in the audience’s face and didn’t feel forced. It was there just enough to not be distracting. Great movie and one I’ll definitely pick up when it comes out.