In the L.A. comedy-drama “Serious People,” remarkable naturalism and immense absurdity sit shoulder-to-shoulder. However, as notable as this tension may be, the novelty of the movie’s tonal dissonance eventually wears out, thanks to a story of swapped identities with no real end goal in mind.
The film, from directors Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson, begins exciting and mysteriously, with a number of unknown Latino actors auditioning for a highly unconventional role: that of the director casting them, Pasqual (played by the movie’s own co-director, Gutierrez). There are glimpses of prospective hires, who come in different shapes and sizes and with wildly different levels of skill; one of them, bodybuilder
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