Micaela Wittman and Arthur De Larroche team to create ‘Clairvoyant’ which spoofs self-indulgent documentaries and new age spiritual quests. Wittman lampoons the superficial dilettante seeking instant enlightenment as Claire, a Los Angeles twenty-something supported by well-off parents as she naively tries to find the secret to “being happy all the time.”
Claire hires Earl (De Larroche) to document her journey; she may not know the difference between India and Native American but knows she wants to promote herself.
We’re treated to Claire’s awkward consultations with a parade of psychics, mediums and mystics; some seem charmed by Claire’s eagerness to embrace whatever they’re selling; others are puzzled by her lack of any knowledge or awareness; and others exploit it. There’s Bliss (Emily Vere Nicoll), the turban-wearing guru who takes Claire’s credit card and directs her to a “retreat.” The trusting Claire leads Earl and his camera into a wooded valley off a busy highway convinced that Bliss’s directions to nowhere are a deliberate teaching moment. When the guru Claire googles says to give up luxuries, Claire abandons her big, comfy bed and pillows for the floor, at least for one night. The improvised rapport between Claire and the low key, occasionally incredulous Earl is discomfort comedy at its best.
Despite her cluelessness, it’s hard not to like and root for Claire to figure out what it is she’s searching for. Wittman is an engaging and expressive presence and manages to keep a straight face while appearing in a series of outfits, from bejeweled headdresses to a sari and a turban, that correspond to Claire’s path du jour. We never see Claire’s estranged father but Amy Benedict is funny and poignant as Claire’s well-meaning mother Eliza as she gently pushes grad school while Claire, jewelry dangling over her face, defiantly insists she does’t need a degree when she can just sell her documentary to Netflix.
Claire may not discover the meaning of life by the end of her experience documenting her path to enlightenment but Wittman and De Larroche sure look like they had a lot of fun taking us on the journey.
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