"Everybody needs to smile on Germany ArchivesValentine's Day, the saddest holiday of the year," says Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk in an effort to pitch his new Netflix film, Girlfriend's Day.
That sentence speaks aptly to what Girlfriend's Day is and does; it's a dark comedy (often literally, shot in shades of gray that would make E.L. James jealous) with layers of lies, betrayal and absurdity -- the dark side of Valentine's Day on a film noir canvas.
SEE ALSO: Why you should spend your Valentine's Day with Michael Bolton, The Lonely Island and Comedy Bang BangIn Girlfriend's Day, Odenkirk plays Ray Wentworth, a washed-up greeting card writer who used to rule his industry. When his state introduces a new holiday, Girlfriend's Day, Ray gets caught in the frenzy to write the perfect card, and entangled in a web of murder and conspiracy that he may not escape.
"I've never met anyone who knows anyone who knows where or how greeting cards are done. It lends itself to mystery."
The greeting card industry as depicted in Girlfriend's Dayis life-and-death, an invented realm with its own rules and norms.
"Ultimately, [greeting cards] are about sentiment, they're about feeling," Odenkirk says. "And there's a feeling of mystery around them in...it's very interesting because it's a real thing, it's not made up, and yet I've never met anyone who knows anyone who knows where or how greeting cards are done. It lends itself to mystery."
The high-stakes world of Girlfriend's Day, he notes, introduces a greeting card industry with rivalries, stigmas and a status quo all its own.
"I think one of the biggest things for me was to create a world that was a little heightened and just left of center so that it wasn’t grounded in being entirely naturalistic," said Stephenson, whose previous filmography includes documentary work. "We play it straight. There's no irony. We didn’t want to create a parody."
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable The film was written by Odenkirk and Eric Hoffman, the latter of whom wrote a first draft with Zlotorynski as Odenkirk was wrapping up Mr. Show with Bob and David in 1999. All three of them contributed to the final script. The filmmakers were inspired by film noir and dark comedies, particularly Chinatown and shades of The Big Lebowski.
"Eventually, Netflix got behind the project, and they couldn’t have been a more creatively supportive partner," Stephenson says. "They do have to uphold the values of their brand for viewers, which is why they’ve become so strong over the years in the original content, in that taking a risk is ultimately what it comes down to. And the audiences are responding."
Ray sometimes has the humorous deflection and demeanor of Jimmy McGill on Better Call Saul, but Odenkirk stresses that these characters are only similar on the surface.
"The character of Ray...is an incredibly embittered misanthrope who hates all people and has no love in his life and is actively chasing love away with a grudge against it," Odenkirk says. "The character of Jimmy McGill is strangely a very innocent and sweet-hearted character."
"Most rom-coms are way too smarmy," he adds. "I think a movie like this, which has got a little bit of heart in it, buried under a whole lot of darkness and silliness, is going to potentially deprive you more than a typical rom-com and make you smile."
Girlfriend's Day is now streaming on Netflix.
SpaceX's Starlink satellite launch in pictures
Best Samsung deal: Save $140.99 on Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Best Apple deal: Save $50 on 11
NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for June 4: Tips to solve Connections #254
Anker raises Amazon prices amid US tariffs
Trump admin takes 'safety' out of U.S. AI Safety Institute
WhatsApp is getting usernames so you can finally stop sharing your phone number
Best smartwatch deal: Save $250 on Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: $40 off at Amazon
The next Meta VR device may not look like a Quest headset at all
Operation Mensch
Best smartphone deal: Get $250 off the Google Pixel 9 at Amazon
How to watch 'Presence': Now streaming
Best Kindle deal: Save $40 on the Kindle Paperwhite Kids
'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 4: Why Ellie sings 'Take on Me'
NYT Strands hints, answers for June 4
Sabalenka vs. Zheng 2025 livestream: Watch French Open for free
Lego free Paddle: How to get free Lego for Father's Day
Stablecoin bill advances in U.S. Senate as Trump critics call to end his crypto dealings
Best MacBook Air deal: New M4 MacBook Air under $850
Ovid’s Ancient Beauty Elixirs by Dan PiepenbringKingsley Amis’s James Bond NovelTurn out the Lights and Watch Joško Marušić’s FisheyeThe Morning News Roundup for April 16, 2014The Life and Times of Josep PlaTurn out the Lights and Watch Joško Marušić’s FisheyeWhat We‘re Loving: Good Friday Riffs, Your New White HairThe Morning News Roundup for April 8, 2014Different Ways of Lying: An Interview with Jesse Ball by Rebecca BatesSadie Stein on the Things We Are Supposed to LoveRead Frederick Seidel’s Poem “Arabia”The Morning News Roundup for April 3, 2014Robert Frost, the Karate Kid, born on this day in 1874.Read Zadie Smith’s Story from Our Spring IssueWilliam Hazlitt on Meeting Poet Samuel Taylor ColeridgeInappropriate by Sadie SteinThe Morning News Roundup for April 8, 2014A Week (or More) in Culture: Mimi Pond, Cartoonist by Mimi PondOpening Day by Sadie SteinKent Johnson’s / Araki Yasusada’s / Tosa Motokiyu’s “Mad Daughter and Big Wonderful chipmunk can't decide whether it wants in or out of its food Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln talks Glenn, Episode 702 and Shiva Google Jamboard makes collaborative work feel like playtime Xiaomi's curvy Note 2 flagship fills the hole left behind by the Samsung Note7 Moving film calls for the protection of the 'I' in LGBTIQ This poster mocking refugees was taped in Parliament's kitchen Trump TV debuts ... sort of Canadian chef's upscale version of Hainan chicken rice outrages Asians Restaurant offers free cheesesteak for life in exchange for Cubs tickets The weird controversy surrounding CNN and the Time Warner 'Harry Potter' birthday party is way more intricate than you'd expect Tesco trials paperless receipts to your mobile app Dude notices a stranger's Tinder photo was taken in his bathroom You are definitely not alone in being worn out by this election If Cleveland sports can experience a year like this, then anything is possible in your life, too 'Gilmore Girls' costumer reveals unbreakable set dress code Comedy writer penned a perfect response to his son's permission slip New study shows why you think LaCroix quenches your thirst more than tap water Xiaomi is working on this super cool bezel Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid give us their model rendition of 'Baby'
1.979s , 10132.6484375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Germany Archives】,Inspiration Information Network