One of the most positive trends in contemporary television is the rise of female buddy comedies produced by and starring real-life besties, such as Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer's rightfully celebrated Broad City, or the lesser-known but still worthy Playing House by Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair. Unfortunately, Jennifer Prediger and Jess Weixler's feature film Apartment Troubles doesn't quite rise to either of those standards, nor does the picture entirely gel on its own merits. Facing eviction from their Manhattan apartment, Olivia (Prediger) and Nicole (Weixler) decide to visit Nicole's wealthy Aunt Kimberley (Megan Mullally) in Hollywood and audition on the American Idol-esque talent show Kimberley hosts. Wackiness ensues, and though it's not based on a television show, Apartment Troubles (originally titled Trouble Dolls) has an oddly episodic feel. The main problem is that while Olivia and Nicole are given some rudimentary traits, mostly signified by the former being a brunette with glasses and the latter a skimpily dressed blonde, it's difficult to get a bead on their characters. As a result, set pieces such as their willfully weird performance on the talent show don't feel earned. All that said, Prediger and Weixler are clearly talented, and hopefully have much more cohesive (and funny) work ahead of them.
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