Sure, “Mad Men” has its share of laughs — see: Ginsburg going bonkers and slicing off his nipple — but Matthew Weiner isn’t exactly known as a comedy visionary; solemn existential crises and cultural criticism have long been his trademark.
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But this summer, as Don Draper and co. wait for their fates, Weiner will try to prove that he can produce laughs as well as he can draw gasps and think pieces.
Witness the first trailer for “Are You Here,” Weiner debut as a writer and director of feature films. Zach Galifianakis leads a cast that also includes Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler; the three play friends and siblings dealing with the aftermath of a father’s death and the seemingly insane dispersal commanded by his will.
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There’s dramatic notes here, for sure — Galifianakis is actually pretty good at playing the emotionally drained thirtysomething — but the trailer promises far more comedy than material screaming for a million analytical blog posts.
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Unless you want to really read into the masturbation joke that kicks the whole thing off, of course.
“Are You Here,” which debuted with a very different cut at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, hits theaters and VOD on August 22.