|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
Igby Goes Down | Year: 2003 Classification: Comedy Directed: - Burr Steers Actors/Actresses: - Kieran Culkin as Igby Slocumb - Ryan Philippe - Jeff Goldblum - Susan Sarandon - Bill Pullman - Claire Danes as Sookie Down But Not Out "Igby Goes Down" is one of those small, acerbic black comedies that some people find pointless and others love to the point of turning it into a cult classic. I would have to lean toward the latter category. Igby, honestly realized by Kieran Culkin, is an angry, aimless teenager rebelling against the cold, loveless world of his well-to-do but ultimately miserable parents (Susan Sarandon and Bill Pullman) and extremely wealthy godfather, D.H. (Jeff Goldblum, in a particularly good role). The focus of the movie is his quest to find a place where he belongs, while his schizophrenic father wastes away in an institution and his cruel mother dies of breast cancer. None of the characters in "Igby Goes Down" are very likeable, but they're REAL. Culkin does a wonderful job of conveying Igby's lost, angry restlessness, Susan Sarandon is wonderfully hateable as mother Mimi, and Amanda Peet is particularly poignant as Rachel, "a dancer who doesn't dance" whose friend is a "painter who doesn't paint", and who is having an affair with Igby's godfather D.H. There is a lot of rather unpleasant honesty in the lives of these miserable, screwed-up people, and writer-director Burr Steers succeeds admirably at peeling away the layers of unhappiness. And in the midst of pain, this movie is brutally, bizarrely FUNNY. Culkin shines in this quirky coming-of-age film "Igby Goes Down," written and directed by Burr Steers, stars Kieran Culkin as the curiously named title character (the disturbing story behind this unusual name is revealed during the course of the film). Igby is a troubled youth who has been expelled from several schools and is in constant conflict with his overbearing mother, Mimi (played by Susan Sarandon). The film explores Igby's interconnected relationships with his circle of family and friends in and around New York City as he gropes his way towards young adulthood. This is a quirky story that is well acted by a stellar cast. Sarandon is a true force of nature as a mother-from-hell (who at one point is compared to Medea). Superb performances are also turned in by Jeff Goldblum (as Igby's rich, sleazy godfather), Ryan Phillipe (as Igby's annoyingly perfect golden-boy older brother), Claire Danes (as a friend of Igby's), and Rory Culkin (as the younger Igby seen in flashbacks). But the film is really Kieran Culkin's, and he is outstanding. He brings to life all aspects of this complicated character, from his ironic world-weariness to visceral pain. "Igby" contains some clever dialogue and features some great chemistry among the cast. Often funny, the film also has some really painful, harrowing scenes. Overall, it's a solid coming-of-age story that, I believe, well demonstrates Kieran Culkin's ability as a cinematic leading man. Quirky characters, fine dialogue, and sparkling performances This unconventional film about a teenage boy struggling to escape the crushing pressures in his life defies categorization. While one could describe it as a dark comedy, it is funny only in places, and then in a desperate, cynical way. But it doesn't take itself as seriously as a true drama. "Igby Goes Down" works best as a film that is what it is: the story of Igby (Kieran Culkin), who has been kicked out of every private school his mother Mimi (Susan Sarandon) has enrolled him in and who goes on the lam to avoid the next one. Igby's father (Bill Pullman) has been in a mental hospital for the past six years, and his mother is a snooty matron dying of breast cancer who spends her time fiercely trying to get Igby into yet another school. His brother Oliver (Ryan Phillippe) is a snobbish self-important Columbia undergrad. Igby's life is truly messed up, and no one can stand to be in his company for long before they feel like hitting him. The one thing Igby has going for him is an often charming wit, and that, combined with so many things beyond his control, endears him to the viewer. Culkin shows surprising range as Igby, moving convincingly from sarcastic to resourceful to desperate - and back again to sarcastic. Claires Danes is spunky and perfectly edgy as the Bennington drop-out Sookie, and Amanda Peet is even better as the sensual non-dancer dancer and junkie Rachel. Jeff Goldblum turns in a fine performance as DH, Igby's godfather, who, as Oliver says, is finely-tuned for only one thing: making money. Susan Sarandon seems to float through this movie until the end, when she, too, reveals astonishing aspects of her character. Every last character is this film is quirky. This is an offbeat, unpredictable film that mainstream film goers probably won't like as much as those who gravitate toward the unconventional. Rather than being driven by plot, this is a character movie, with its strength resting in idiosyncrasies, smart dialogue, and acting. Buy Igby Goes Down at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Igby Goes Down Search with the Priority Search Engine on Igby Goes Down This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
