• Emmeritta LilloStand-up superstar Leslie Jones makes taping a Netflix special look like so much fun. A fact which even she expresses on several occasions in the hour long Netflix offering ‘Time Machine’, where she pauses mid-sentence to say, as if to herself: “I’m having so much fun.”
And so she should be. After a career that has seen her hit highs (‘Saturday Night Live’, her viral Olympic commentary and subsequent stint as a 2018 Winter Olympics commentator) to a few painful lows (her turn as Patty Tolan in the all-female remake of the classic ‘Ghostbusters’ in 2017 which drew criticism from fans of the franchise), Jones has hit her stride.
‘Time Machine’ was released to viewers last weekend and fans of the long-awaited sequel, her first since 2010’s ‘Problem Child’, could only have been left sated by her stellar performance.
Directed by the showrunners of ‘Game of Thrones’, David Benioff and DB Weiss, Jones brings her brash, unapologetic take on life to her audience, often at triple decibels.
The ‘Saturday Night Live’ alum made history when in 2014 she was hired as the oldest ever cast member on the historic skit show. She uses a playful brand of physical comedy doused with a dash of wisdom to deliver a special that silences naysayers and reminds viewers why her brand of raw comedy works: Her comedic talent is undeniable.
Decked out in a Nipsey Hussle T-shirt and with her leg brace unapologetically on the outside, Jones careens from her insights on life through the decades to her attempts to seduce The-artist-formerly-known-as-Prince, to how crazy women really seem when they resort to emotional texting.
She delivers her material like the pro that she is, but with a freshness and swagger that makes you wonder whether she really is all of her 52 years old.
The special comes fresh off the back of Jones’ departure from ‘Saturday Night Live’ and rumour has it she will take on a role in the long-anticipated follow-up to the urban classic ‘Coming to America’.
The special has its fair share of base jokes, and sex and private parts are not off limits. It is, nevertheless, unexpected and cleverly done, as when she depicts an angel flying out of the nether regions of a 20-year-old. Watching Jones’ impression of a delicate angel is her at her physical comedy best. Her bit on why she would make a terrible sleeping beauty, how your 30s are like a fading banana and her musings of why she’s single is Jones at her self-effacing peak.
The highlight might be her take on the difference between the prayers of a 20-year-old and those of a 40-year-old.
Lest we think she is sad about ageing, she isn’t. Jones says cockily… I’m making money now!
The title of her show comes from a series of jokes based around ageing and what she wishes she could tell her younger self. She looks back at herself with wisdom, some empathy and a ‘this is not that serious’ filter.
Jones showcasing her 22-year-old dance moves for a straight three minutes is awkward and hilarious – which sums up this special’s brand of humour. She’s a woman’s woman that men can’t help but love too. Brash, in-your-face and unafraid of telling her story her way.
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