If you're one of God's favorites on this Earth...you just may be lucky enough to see two of your favorite celebs in one project unexpectedly. I must be part of the elite...because I was excited to discover that Josh and Selena Gomez share a credit!
While the 2016 movie In Dubious Battle wasn't a hit for me, (and as usual, that had nothing do with Josh's performance!) I was super amused to see these two on screen together. (Do you have a fave you'd love to see Josh work with? Let me know in the comments!)
Now, since this is a Josh blog and not a Selena blog, let's shift to discussing Josh's acting in this movie.
If you've ever wondered what Josh would look like if he were cast in Newsies, his role of Vinnie in this film just may scratch that itch. During most of In Dubious Battle, he looks straight out of that classic musical in his flat cap and work clothes.
Sadly, we don't get to enjoy Josh in all of his flat-cap-glory for long as he doesn't have a ton of screen time in this film. Instead, much of In Dubious Battle focuses on the characters of Mac (played by James Franco, who also directed) and Jim (played by Nat Wolff) as they stand up to landowners who cut the wages of apple farm workers during the Great Depression.
Josh's character, Vinnie, is more of an antagonist in this project. Even though he's a fellow farm worker, he isn't the biggest fan of Jim since Lisa, played by Selena Gomez, prefers Jim's company over his own. Vinnie's level of commitment to the strike also differs from Jim and Mac - he's a bit more skeptical of the consequences of their efforts despite being angry about the situation. Unlike the main characters, Vinnie doesn't want to lead. His motivations seem to lie elsewhere - finding companionship and comfort during a stressful, unfair time.
One of the scenes that had me applauding Josh's acting was where Vinnie longingly gazes at Lisa from afar, and confesses to a friend that he was crushing on her. Josh was able to inject such emotion into such a quick moment of the film - we see the pain and heartache in Vinnie's eyes as he realizes he will never be with Lisa. He ends up seeking companionship elsewhere - from a prostitute and with another striker, Edie.
During one scene, Vinnie makes out with Edie and at first, the moment felt out of place to me, but when we put it in context with what we know about Josh's character, it makes sense. In fact, that's another one of my favorite scenes in this movie. Vinnie kisses Edie with such passion that it really reinforces how desperate he was for connection and escapism at this time. (& yo - I don't blame ya, Vinnie! A sexy romance sounds way more fun than striking, but sadly, those were not the cards dealt to these characters). I'd imagine that intimate scenes could be challenging for actors, but Josh's performance as Vinnie helped me understand the character and his motivations...and isn't that what a great actor is supposed to?!
Josh's ability to do that particularly stands out here because I had trouble following some of the motivations of the other characters. There's a lot to follow within this film as it has a big cast, and since it's a period piece, it is not something I would naturally gravitate to (not my favorite genre). However, Josh's clips in this film made this worth the watch for me.
Would I watch this whole film again, even though I own it? Probably not. Do I still love Josh and Selena Gomez? Absolutely.
If you want to draw your own conclusions about this one, at the time of this post, you can find In Dubious Battle free on Tubi or with a subscription to Amazon Prime.
Peace and Joshperity,
G
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