South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival – Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before looks at the links one man will go through to fit in with his co-workers. Meeting over zoom due to the 2020 shelter in place home orders, Marvin (who Has never had coffee before) listens to his co-workers talk about their coffee ordeals while he drinks water.
“Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before’ explores the human psyche’s need to fit in a group and also taps on America’s obsseeion with the drink. Originally for breakfast in the home, to a reason for open mike night’s, the beverage and it’s culture is now a a bilion dollar industry, creating companies like Starbucks opening all over the coutry, beit world.
At first the chat goes well with everyone talking about what they are binging on, then things take a swift nosedive for Marvin when the discussion turns to coffee. Everyone has a cup of some knid of coffee that they are drinking and suddenly Marvin is out of the convo though he pretends to stay in it. He ramdomly drops opinions a bout Starbucks and coffee as if he knows what he’s talknig about.
To prepare for the next group meeting, Mavin buys a coffee machine, not the generic 4 cups that have become hotel room staples, like bibles and irons, but a true machine that is a barista is in your home day.
Marvin goes all in, buying mugs, following coffe themed Instagram pages, and even buys a coffee poster that sits behind his head as his new zoom background. Soon he discovers that wanting fitting in and not be lonely is just life and ever coffee won’t fix that until he opens up one-on-one to a co-worker and makes a friend.
The film is funny and breath of fresh air will make every coffe lover explore their relationship wth the beloved drink at some point in their quarantined lives.
Grade: B+
Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before
Runtime: 8 minutes
Language: English
Country: United States
Synopsis: Marvin Wexler tries coffee for the first time and desperately tries to talk about it with anyone who will listen.
Cast: Charles Rogers, Annie Sertich, Aaron Lamarr Burleson, Nirav Bhakta, Elizabeth Franco, Grant Reed, Malgosia Tolak, Malcolm Nicholas
Director: Andrew Carter, Producer: Andrew Carter, Kahlil Maskati, Screenwriter: Andrew Carter, Kahlil Maskati, Cinematographer: Patrick Ouziel, Editor: Andrew Carter, This film has not been rated.
