Yes, Ray Romano Can Act

Regular readers here know that I was/am a huge fan of "Everybody Loves Raymond."  Now when that series first began, its star, Ray Romano, was clearly a stand-up comic trying to act.  And it showed.  

That said, as the series ran on, Ray got better and better.   Eventually, he won an Emmy for his work as an actor.  You like it when you see real progress.  And, frankly, Ray's work in the movie "The Big Sick" was so good that I was ultimately surprised he didn't get a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod.  

The evolution continues with the new Netflix movie "Paddleton."  I wonder now what that means.   If you're a Netflix film, is that Emmy or Oscar nominated?   I guess it all depends upon whether there is a theater release like "Roma."  Too bad "Pendleton" isn't going that route as it is totally theatrical-quality.   Heck, it's infinitely better than that Mexican Mary Poppins mess.

Don't get me wrong.  "Pendleton" is a bit of a downer of a film and probably won't appeal to everybody.   But it is also a sweet story of friendship and Ray Romano helps to nail all the nuances of such a relationship.   

Ray plays Andy, a pretty simple guy who has a simple day job in a simple office.  He's single and conveniently lives in the garden apartment just above his best friend Michael (Mark Duplass), who is cut from the same cloth pattern.   While Michael was once married, he's now maintaining a similarly simple existence.   It seems that the only people in the lives of Andy and Michael are...well...Andy and Michael.

The guys spend much of their time together, eating pizza and solving jigsaw puzzles and watching the same Kung Fu movie over and over and over.   Their main outside journey is to a deserted drive-in theater where they invented a game hitting a ball off the antiquated movie screen.   They even give a name to their game.   Yep...Paddleton.

These two are pretty content to simply go from day to day until tragedy ensues.  One of the friends is diagnosed with a fatal liver disease and cancer.   This is destined to upset their lives in a way they never imagined.

The rest of the movie is their journey to inevitable sadness.   And their reactions along the way are real and organic and heartbreaking.  This is essentially a two character piece and both actors are up to the task.   Especially one Ray Romano who now, to me, is an acting force to be reckoned with.

If you have Netflix, check out "Paddleton."   And when that's over, I believe there is a new Ray Romano stand-up act on the same service.   An ideal contrast to demonstrate just how far the guy has come.

LEN'S RATING:  Three stars.

Dinner last night:  Tortellini in marinara sauce.