“The Floaters”

Directed by: Rachel Israel

Starring: Jackie Tohn, Sarah Podemski, Aya Cash, Judah Lewis, Seth Green, Jonathan Silverman & Steve Guttenberg

Synopsis: A struggling musician takes a last-resort job from her overachiever best friend: supervising misfits at their childhood Jewish summer camp. With the camp’s survival in the balance as it ramps up for competition with a longtime rival, the clashing friends and campers must overcome their differences to save the camp.

Review:

This movie made me smile.

Jackie Tohn plays Nomi, a singer in a band, who is unceremoniously fired. Her best friend, Mari, is the director of Camp Daveed, who offers her a job at the Jewish summer camp. Nomi arrives and is put in charge of the “Floaters”; the kids who didn’t sign up for any activities and who don’t want to follow any rules. Sounds like Nomi’s crowd. Mari gives Nomi the materials for another boring rendition of “Fiddler On The Roof” for them to rehearse and perform. However, Nomi challenges them to do something totally different.

Jackie Tohn is pitch perfect here. You may remember her as a contestant on “American Idol” a few seasons ago, “GLOW”, or her supporting turn in Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This.” This film gives her room to flex her comedic muscles even more and deliver some tender moments as well. This proves she really CAN carry a film.

One aspect I loved about the movie was that each “floater” was fleshed out pretty well character wise. Each actor was able to distinguish themselves from the others. Without giving too much away, my two favorite scenes involved a campfire full of confessions and the final play product. We’re also treated with cameos from Seth Green, Jonathan Silverman, and “Diner” star Steve Guttenberg.

“The Floaters” will make you laugh and quite frankly want to go back to camp.

***** out of *****

“The Floaters” is playing NOW at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring!