Lemon | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Janicza Bravo |
Written by |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Jason McCormick |
Edited by | Joi McMillon |
Music by | Heather Christian |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Magnolia Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 83 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Lemon is an American comedy-drama film directed by Janicza Bravo in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Bravo and Brett Gelman. It stars Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Shiri Appleby, Fred Melamed, Rhea Perlman, David Paymer, Gillian Jacobs, Jon Daly, Martin Starr, Megan Mullally, Jeff Garlin, Elizabeth De Razzo, Marla Gibbs and Nia Long.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017. It was released in a limited release and through video on demand on August 18, 2017, by Magnolia Pictures.
Isaac is a middle-aged actor who lives with his girlfriend, Ramona, who is blind and works for a pharmaceutical company that requires her to travel frequently.
Isaac leads an acting workshop where he routinely lavishes praise on Alex, his star pupil who is also a working actor, while either denigrating or ignoring Tracy, another one of his students. He is secretly jealous of Alex as his own acting career has devolved into commercial and modeling work for pharmaceutical products.
After overhearing a message from Ramona in which a man can be heard in the background, Isaac has a breakdown. He invites Alex over for dinner, accusing him of using him and then trying to kiss him. Afterward, Ramona returns home from her trip and breaks up with Isaac ending their 10-year relationship.
Isaac goes to his family's home for Passover. His entire family is involved in petty grievances with one another and Isaac fails to mention that he and Ramona have broken up.
Isaac decides to ask out Cleopatra, a makeup artist he met on a photo shoot. The date does not go well but after Isaac admits he was nervous Cleopatra decides to give him a second chance. Their follow-up date does not go well either, but Isaac continues to worm his way into Cleopatra's life.
Attending a barbecue with Cleopatra's family, Isaac has awkward conversations with her family, and eventually takes a couple hits from a blunt. While high, Isaac converses with Cleopatra's aunt, who he seems to hear tell him she is lonely, and she urges him to "run". He tries to escape with her, but Cleopatra tracks them down and returns home with her aunt.
After rushing home to go to the bathroom he hears Ramona entering the house and pleads with her to come back. She tells him she has only come to return her house key and leaves.
In August 2016, it was announced that Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long, Fred Melamed, Shiri Appleby, Rhea Perlman, David Paymer, Gillian Jacobs, Megan Mullally, Martin Starr, Jeff Garlin and Marla Gibbs would star in the film, with Janicza Bravo directing and executive producing the film from a screenplay she wrote alongside Gelman. Paul Bernon, Sam Slater, David Bernon, Han West, Houston King, Christine Vachon, and David Hinojosa would serve as producers and executive producers, respectively, under their Burn Later Productions and Killer Films banners. [1] [2] [3]
Principal photography concluded in August 2016. [1]
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017. [4] [5] The film also opened the 46th International Film Festival Rotterdam January 25, 2017. [6] It also screened at South by Southwest on March 10, 2017. [7] [8] Shortly after, Magnolia Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film. [9] It was released on August 18, 2017. [10]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 55% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3 out of 10. The site's critical consensus says "Lemon succeeds in its aim as a tart satire, but audiences may find this foray into abrasiveness too sour to swallow." [11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [12]
Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, and wrote: "Lemon represents a feature debut of unusual assurance and control with a style all its own." [13]
Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave it a mixed review: "Lemon is a comedy of miserablism that keeps poking you in the ribs — and, quite often, fails to hit the rib it’s aiming for. Yet it’s a watchable curio, because beneath it all the director, the Panamanian-born Janicza Bravo, has a more conventional sensibility than she lets on." [14]
Shiri Freda Appleby is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her leading roles as Liz Parker in the WB/UPN science fiction drama series Roswell (1999–2002) and Rachel Goldberg in the Lifetime/Hulu drama series Unreal (2015–2018).
Michael Austin Cera is a Canadian actor. He is known for his awkward, offbeat characters in coming of age comedy films and for portraying George Michael Bluth in the sitcom Arrested Development. He is also known for portraying Brother Bear in The Berenstain Bears.
Christine Vachon is an American film producer active in the American independent film sector.
Gillian MacLaren Jacobs is an American actress and director. She is known for playing Britta Perry in the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015) and Mickey Dobbs in the Netflix romantic comedy series Love (2016–2018). Other notable television roles include Mimi-Rose Howard in the fourth season of the HBO comedy-drama series Girls (2015) and Atom Eve in the animated superhero series Invincible (2021–present).
Fred Melamed is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Renowned as a character actor, he came to prominence for his role as Sy Ableman in the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man (2009) and for his collaborations with Woody Allen, appearing in seven of Allen’s films including Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Radio Days (1987), and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). Other notable credits include In a World... (2012), Hail, Caesar! (2016), and Shiva Baby (2020).
Brett Clifford Gelman is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Murray Bauman in Netflix's horror-supernatural series Stranger Things and as Martin on the BBC comedy Fleabag.
Killer Films is a New York City-based independent film production company founded in 1995 by film producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler. The company has produced many acclaimed independent films over the past two decades including Far From Heaven, Boys Don't Cry, One Hour Photo, Kids, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Happiness, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, I Shot Andy Warhol, Swoon, I'm Not There, Kill Your Darlings, Still Alice and Carol. Killer Films also executive produced Todd Haynes' five episode HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce, which went on to win five Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
In a World... is a 2013 American comedy film written, directed and co-produced by Lake Bell.
Gregory Go Boom is a 2013 comedy drama short film, written and directed by Janicza Bravo. The film premiered at Jash during YouTube Comedy Week on May 23, 2013.
I'll See You in My Dreams is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Brett Haley. It stars Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, Sam Elliott, Malin Åkerman, June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, and Mary Kay Place. It was released on May 15, 2015 in a limited release by Bleecker Street.
Wilson is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Craig Johnson and written by Daniel Clowes, based on Clowes' graphic novel Wilson. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Isabella Amara, Judy Greer, and Cheryl Hines.
Person to Person is a 2017 American drama film directed and written by Dustin Guy Defa. The film stars Michael Cera, Tavi Gevinson, and Abbi Jacobson.
Sasha Bianca Lane is an American actress. She made her film debut in American Honey (2016), directed by Andrea Arnold, before portraying Hunter C-20 in the first season of the Disney+ television series Loki, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Janicza Michelle Bravo Ford (;) is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Her films include Gregory Go Boom, a winner of the short-film jury award at the Sundance Film Festival; Lemon, co-written with Brett Gelman; and Zola, co-written with playwright Jeremy O. Harris.
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to January 29, 2017. The first lineup of competition films was announced November 30, 2016.
Paul Bernon is an American businessman and film producer. His film Best Kept Secret was awarded a Peabody Award in 2014.
Strangers is an American comedy-drama series created by Mia Lidofsky that premiered on September 4, 2017, on Facebook Watch. The series stars Zoë Chao and Meredith Hagner and is executive produced by Lidofsky, Jesse Peretz, Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtletaub, M. Blair Brown, and Neena Beber.
Zola is a 2020 American black comedy crime film directed by Janicza Bravo and co-written by Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris. It is based on a viral Twitter thread from 2015 by Aziah "Zola" King and the resulting Rolling Stone article "Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted" by David Kushner. Starring Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, and Colman Domingo, the film follows a part-time stripper who is convinced by her new friend to go on a roadtrip to Tampa, Florida, in order to earn money, only to get in over her head.
The 2020 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 23 to February 2, 2020. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 4, 2019. The opening night film was Miss Americana directed by Lana Wilson and produced by Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, and Christine O'Malley.
Dustin Guy Defa is an American independent filmmaker and actor. He is best known for directing the feature films Bad Fever and Person to Person and writing the screenplay for The Mountain.