2023 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Rob (Rob Scerbo) has cancer–stage 4 testicular cancer. The end may be near, but Rob takes a trip to The Sperm Bank to make a deposit, to possibly secure his future (if he even has one). As he struggles to accomplish his goal of saving some sperm for future endeavors, the world comes to his aid, and all that Rob hoped to come true may just be in the cards after all.
What initially appears to be a raunchy comedy with very little in regard to emotion quickly shifts its tone. While it remains silly and comedic throughout, The Sperm Bank finds itself being far more serious than it initially lets on. We’re no longer talking about simply making a deposit at the local sperm bank, but rather about cancer, one of life’s great equalizers. The Sperm Bank is based on a true story about the film’s actual lead–and as viewers see him grow in just over ten minutes (in a number of ways), his scenario becomes more real, more relatable, more emotional. That comedy doesn’t disappear, however, it’s still incredibly relevant throughout the course of the film.
To be able to shift so drastically from comedy to drama again and again throughout The Sperm Bank is a massive feat–one that may have been a bit too much for the film. I completely understand the reality that too much drama could have been overwhelming, that without comedy the subject matter may have been too much to handle–but the film moves back and forth far too much. The narrative feels fractured from time to time, almost as if it’s unsure of what it’s trying to be. There needs to be a delicate balance between comedy and drama, between the things that allow The Sperm Bank to play out naturally and appeal to viewers. That balance doesn’t quite exist in the way that it needs to–and that causes the film to become frumpy at times.
I desperately needed the film to pick a lane. The Sperm Bank either needed to be a completely dramatic endeavor or one of dark comedy. Because the film never picks a direction, much of the comedy fails to reach viewers, and only a handful of dramatic sequences play out with vigor.
One scene in particular, as Rob sits down at the sperm bank and speaks to a sick version of himself, is the most important of the entire production. This is the time when Writers Scerbo and Jeremy Culhane and Director Margaux Susi figure things out, when they find an appropriate balance between comedy and drama. This comes to fruition as a result of many different things–including the acting and writing.
This is Scerbo’s time to shine, his opportunity in The Sperm Bank to show the world what he’s capable of. He gets to play two versions of himself here, chatting it up as if it were really happening. This moment of magical realism sees Scerbo play both the optimist and pessimist, aggressor and submissive. He plays everything beautifully through these moments, never missing a beat along the way, never faltering, never failing to deliver both laughs and heartbreak. In order for him to find this success, however, he needs to have been given a good script, something that reflects the truth (at least the truth in a way that viewers can understand). Scerbo is an integral part of this aspect of the film as well, but his co-writer helps him create something so riveting and truly entertaining that it was impossible for Scerbo, had he possessed any level of acting ability (which he does), to muck this up.
The Sperm Bank takes some time to develop into the funny drama that it needed to be from the start, eventually finding ways to blend the two genres and create something simple, but powerful and accessible. Scerbo takes the opportunity to showcase his wonderful story in a way that will find audiences and tickle their fancy. Again, I think The Sperm Bank needs to pick a lane earlier in the production, and while that doesn’t happen, Susi, Culhand, and Scerbo find a way to reach their viewers regardless.
Directed by Margauz Susi.
Written by Jeremy Culhane & Rob Scerbo.
Starring Rob Scerbo, Sophia Ali, Jeremy Culhane, Aman Adumer, Parvesh Cheena, Kylie Brakeman, Kourtney Bell, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments