Wallie's Gals (Call it a Whim Productions) 2023
On paper, Wallie’s Gals has a interesting idea. The story came to life when Mary C. Ferrara, the director, posted her demo reel noting she didn't have a lot of recent comedic footage to cut into her reel. So in a quest to add more comedy films to the world, she set out to make this quirky comedy film. (And you know, the world could use some more comedy in these crazy times we live in) Set between the nostalgia filled world of 1989 and the more grounded present day, the narrative follows the employees of Wallie’s Big Deals—a once-struggling discount clothing store salvaged by the charisma and eccentric flair of its all-female staff. When Maxine, the no-nonsense manager, summons the Gals back for an surprise reunion decades later, the gang begins reliving old memories, seeing changed personalities and feeling inspired to open up the store once gain. It’s a concept that I think could have worked but the film’s execution here is not the best.
The flashback sequences in the store are the best part, which kinda makes me wish we spent more time here.
Wallie’s Gals has a tight and brisk run time of just 58 minutes, clocking in at just under a hour. It’s tight runtime doesn’t give it much time to build it’s characters or a emotional narrative arc. The film is basically divided into three parts, we have the 1989’s flashback, the reunion which takes place at a restaurant and then the final part which takes part at the newly open store in the present. The third part of the movie the film turns into a mockumentary of sorts, which could be a interesting shift, but doesn’t do enough to really make use of the style. Wallie’s Gals feels like a string of gags tied back to back, and while there are some fun bits here and there, such a charming dancing scene and some running jokes, the film is missing some much needed conflict and stakes. Walle’s Gals could have had some scenarios turn into hilarious, high-pressure situations with the closing store and their competition. It feels like the film should have been focused more on the first two parts, with the flashback and present days, building up to saving the store and reopening it for it’s climax.
Where Wallie’s Gals does exceed it with its casting and cast. Casting both a young cast (For the flashback) and present day older actors (for the present day) must have been a challenge and for the most part the different ensembles match up pretty well. Roe Pacheco adds a groundness to Maxine, and Danielle K. Gensler (Lorraine), Audrey Noone (Jeannette), Therese Lloyd (“Maneki”/Maureen), and Ferrara herself (Leanne) all bring their own unique flair to the cast, doing their best to make sure each character is portrayed with depth and interesting quirks. (Lorraine has a funny gag with the colors, red, white, and blue) Christie Devine as Young Maxine and Casey Schryer as Young Lorraine, in particular, deliver performances that capture the emotional essence of their older selves with remarkable accuracy. This clever dual casting brings something to the table, which is a shame the narrative itself didn’t really go all out with this.
A 80’s dancing montage, sign me up.
The film is also limited to a few locations during its runtime, which doesn’t help much with the variety. Wallie’s Gals is limited to the store location, restaurant and a few exterior parking lots. The technical standards are here though in fine form, with a solid sound mix and some wacky 80’s use of editing with it’s fonts and lower thirds. Wallie’s Gals stock section of music works for the purpose of its tone, sounding like a retro 80’s sitcom, but presents nothing memorable. Also the credits gives details about the supporting cast, explaing what they did. For example, Nancy, Lady admiring Jeannette’s jeans. Can’t say I have never seen that before. Seeing as this is Mary C. Ferrara’s first take on a feature film, there’s defiantly talent and passion here. Hopefully Mary is finding her style and she might be one to keep a eye on. I am curious to see where she goes from here.
