I’ ll be honest, 6 months of quarantine has absolutely obliterated my sense of time.

Days kind of just blend together now. Weekdays feel like weekends. I’m constantly working in the same spot every single day, looking at the same scenery and watching the same shows and movies (my fault). My only real drive through this repetition is the hope that somehow, eventually, things will go back to normal. Palm Springs dares to ask the question:

“What if it didn’t?”

Palm Springs centers around the idea of the same day being repeated over and over and over again until you lose all sense of time, place, and your own past. Sounds a lot like Groundhog Day you say? Well, you’re right. While this film doesn’t exactly present many new ideas with it’s concept, it still manages to be an enjoyable trip that delves into the idea of making the most of endless monotony.

The film is led by Andy Samberg (most well known for his work in the comedy music trio The Lonely Island) as Nyles and Cristin Milioti (who I only knew from that one episode of Black Mirror) as Sarah. Without giving too much of the plot away, both find themselves trapped in a never-ending loop of a wedding in the desert. Nyles, who has been trapped way longer than Sarah, dwells in the carefree dread of never escaping the loop and has used that time to experience every possible scenario he can contrive in just that one day. Sarah is much more fresh to the entrapment, serving as a useful avatar for the audience.

Both actors are enjoyable to watch onscreen, making the most out of their situation in hilarious, and sometimes harmful, ways. Their line delivery and mannerisms compliment each other very well, feeling like genuinely fleshed out characters instead of vehicles for plot development. The romance between the two is cheesy and cliche at times, but it doesn’t outright ruin the film.

Both this film and Groundhog Day use their similar premises to dwell on themes of the human experience and finding meaning in the perceived meaningless. This is where I felt Palm Springs lacked in comparison. It does its best to stand on its own but falls into many of the conventions you’d be familiar with if you’ve already seen Groundhog Day. I hate to continue comparing the two films, but when you’re going with a similar premise of one of the greatest comedies of all time, comparisons are inevitable. At the end of the day, I thought Palm Springs struggled to say anything that has already been said. Yet, I feel as if its identity is well-defined enough, and its story is told in a unique way which allows you to fully enjoy this film even with prior knowledge of the godfather of all time loop films.

To simulate the effect this movie portrays, you should return to The Martini Shot blog every day until you either want to marry me or take me out with a crossbow.

Rating

Jalapeño Paloma

If I was stuck in a desert for all of eternity, I’d want a setting appropriate cocktail to get me by. The Paloma is a classic alternative to the margarita, having several similarities but being different enough to have its own flavor (remind you of a certain movie?). This Paloma is refreshing and classy like the wedding in the film, with a little bit of jalapeño thrown in to reflect the heat of the desert and the explosion of a certain farm animal.

Ingredients

• 2 shots of blanco tequila
• 2 shots grapefruit juice
• 2 shots club soda
• 1/2 shot of lime juice
• 1/4 shot simple syrup
• 2 fresh jalapeño slices
• Coarse sea salt
• 1/2 lime

Instructions

1. Split the 1/2 lime and rim one of the slices on the rim of a highball (or tall) glass.
2. Pour the salt onto a plate and dab the rim of the glass in the salt to coat the rim.
3. In a shaker, pour in the tequila and add the jalapeños. Muddle the jalapeños.
4. Add the grapefruit juice, club soda, lime juice, simple syrup and ice to the shaker and shake well.
5. Add ice to the glass and strain the cocktail into it.
6. Garnish with lime wedge.

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