3 out of 5 stars (average)
Thank you to Comedy Dynamics for reaching out to me for this review.
I had never heard of Richard Lett before watching Never Be Done. He’s a Canadian stand-up comic with a raunchy, politically incorrect sense of humor and, as the documentary shows, a life full of inner battles. Never Be Done paints its subject as a flawed but interesting man whose ribald sense of humor is balanced by on-camera candidness that should win most audiences over.
Filmed over several years, we follow raunchy comedian Richard Lett as he develops a reputation and popularity across comedy clubs, gets thrown out of said clubs for his controversial jokes, becomes self-destructively addicted to drugs and alcohol, and begins a slow climb back to sobriety with the help of friends and family.
Never Be Done portrays Lett is a surprisingly negative light at first, but sneakily changes your perception of him as it progresses. I initially felt mixed on Lett, enjoying some of his jokes but rolling my eyes at his demeanor and personality. However, the more I learned of his struggles and heard from his family, friends, and other interviewees, the more I sympathized with him. Lett’s transition from a no-holds-barred humorist to a more caring and introspective person is interesting and reminds us that the harshest-seeming people can have a softer side. The films’ honesty about how self-destructive he was and his eventual improvement left me feeling hopeful and uplifted in these dark times, and I feel many viewers will have a similar reaction. Never Be Done highlights the highs and lows of its controversial subject and should offer a solid diversion for fans and nonfans. See it.
Likely would be rated R for Language and Drug Use
Never Be Done will be released for rental and purchase on the following platforms on June 16, 2020: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Movies, AppleTV, Google Play, Vimeo, Microsoft XBOX, Direct TV, Breaker, Comcast, Cox Communications, Dish and Xfinity. Available on other platforms after June 30th, 2020.