Jexi (2019)

★

Tech obsessed Phil is forced to upgrade to a new phone, soon learning that the latest model comes with Jexi -- an artificial intelligence life coach, virtual assistant and cheerleader. With its help, he begins to get a real life. But as he becomes less dependent on the phone, Jexi starts to morph into a tech nightmare that's determined to keep Phil all to itself.

Classification: 15

Basically Her meets Fatal Attraction but without anything clever to its execution, performance or presentation, Jexi feels like an amusing premise for a skit dragged out for 90 minutes when it stopped being funny after two. While Rose Byrne's foul-mouthed Siri clone has her moments when berating Adam DeVine's character (I'm not a fan of DeVine's typecast brand of character and comedy so I was enjoying hearing Byrne embarrass him at every opportunity) Jexi just prods through typical rom-com convention. I feel I'm developing an allergy for films based around phones and software that torments their users because just like Countdown and The App, Jexi just feels like a cynical attempt to criticise millennial culture and over-reliance on technology. Except there is nothing clever to writer-directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore's script or direction following the standard, mind-numbing formulas of American comedy than any thought-provoking commentary that is achieved from something like Black Mirror. A smartphone calling Adam DeVine stupid or fat isn't the razor-sharp satire that's gonna make people put their phone down and go for a walk.

There are some genuine laughs to Jexi but they are all hollow surface level moments like Byrne's one-liners that can feel like the writers randomly spinning a wheel for what's topical at the times. Bar a few moments where there's some amusing physical slapstick (DeVine getting hit in the face with a kickball, DeVine crashing into a car while on a bike and flying out to again hit the ground, basically anytime DeVine gets hurt) the comedy is obvious baiting like a stepdad trying to be cool. DeVine's character Phil works as an internet list writer who has aspirations to be a journalist and every morning he and his co-workers face verbal abuse from Michael Peña's character who just aggressively shouts out cultural references. It's almost desperate in how Jexi thinks these seemingly random moments create comedy, a recurring joke which is intended as a "character trait" is Phil's love of the Tom Cruise film Days of Thunder which is continuously referenced even with the peculiar cameo from Kid Cudi (who also loves Days of Thunder). Does one of the producers have a stake in Days of Thunder residuals revenue, are they hoping to boost sales? Does Jexi make you want to watch Days of Thunder? Not really but I'm thinking about that Top Gun ripoff for the first time in years so maybe? if I can find it on Netflix I guess, so.... mission accomplished? Here's a review for Days of Thunder.

The gimmick of a foul-mouthed phone wears off quick as Jexi's ability to control Phil's life is never utilised in creative comedic ways especially when the film revolves around a strange love triangle between Phil, Jexi and Alexandra Shipp's Cate, Phil's love interest. There isn't much chemistry to DeVine and Shipp's relationship, honestly, Phil's behaviour is so bizarre and overbearing that even without Jexi's influences, it should be a warning light for anyone near him. In fact, the film doesn't seem to reveal to other characters in the film Jexi's sentience except for a post-credit sequence with Peña so it's possible most of Byrne's abuse is a subconscious of Phil's self-loathing. Then again the third act has Jexi hack every device possible to try and kill Phil so it's probably all real but Jon Lucas and Scott Moore never have any of their ideas feel natural or gel together. Jexi loses all steam very quickly and becomes boring as it follows a typical, unengaging structure of how Phil gets his life together apart from technology and saves his relationship with Cate. Byrne's performance suggests Jexi could have gone to some creative avenues in how insidious the hold technology has on our lives, the fact Jexi has full control of Phil's accounts but it is only used for passing comedy is a disappointment.

DeVine does his usual shtick with some added anxiety as Phil acts very awkward around other people at times but unless he's being hit by an object his performance does little to make you laugh. Everyone else is just there, Peña brings some energy to his role but so much of Jexi is passive that even the slightest effort jumps out. Wanda Sykes has some amusing one-liners again at the expense of DeVine's character (including some original material comparing Millenials to drug addicts for always wanting new phones) but everything is just going through the motions. Even Byrne loses her appeal as her character is kept to one-note; cursing and vulgar humour, Jexi as a character has no depth just like the rest of the film so when her apparent love for Phil is revealed it makes no sense and forced. Again so much of Jexi just feels like an SNL skit that got extended to feature-length because phones and Siri are topical but like most technological fads, this one has little staying power and already feels terribly dated.

Boring, barely funny and its story of a man finding life beyond his phone just comes across as pandering than inspiring, Jexi needs several more software updates before its presentable for an audience. I'm sure a comment like that is in every review for Jexi so I'm gonna keep the trend going and if not well then this film was so boring I'm fine going for the low hanging fruit. One day a film about an evil phone or phone app shall come out (anything is possible) that I shall enjoy but it is not this one.

Director: #JonLucas and #ScottMoore

Screenwriter: #JonLucas and #ScottMoore

Cast: #AdamDeVine, #AlexandraShipp, #MichaelPeña, #JustinHartley, #RonFunches, #CharlyneYi, #WandaSykes, #RoseByrne