SXSW 2012 film review
See Girl Run
Director & Screenwriter: Nate Meyer What happens when a 30-something woman allows life's "what ifs" to overwhelm her appreciation for what life actually is. Disregarding her current obligations, she digs into her romantic past in hopes of invigorating her present. Cast: Robin Tunney, Adam Scott, Jeremy Strong, William Sadler, Josh Hamilton (World Premiere)
Film Synopsis (from SXSW.com)
WHO'S IT FOR? It's a slow-moving film about a woman having major inner-issues with her marriage. There are tinges of comedy throughout.
OVERALL
I drank a Monster Energy drink before seeing this film. I love Scott. Those two things weren't enough to keep me alert. It's tough to find a way in to See Girl Run and I never did.
For some reason we have a documentary-style film to start us off. Emmie (Tunney) gives us a glimpse of her dating past and I was turned off. That's not the intended goal, but there is something that rubbed me the wrong way about Emmie. She wants her high school boyfriend back. He's an amazing waiter. Seriously. Jason (Scott) is THE BEST waiter. He's also someone who would drive any of us nuts. We need to add one thing to this odd pile. Emmie is married. So there's the start of this film. Thankfully Jason improves, mainly because Scott continues to be just so loveable. Emmie does not.
The film is filled with slow, bad, sad decisions. All of this could have been cleared up if Emmie communicated with the people she supposedly loves. The film slogs through characters. Emmie's brother Brandon is the perfect example. Here's how we are introduced to him. His mom declares to Emmie that Brandon is depressed, but Emmie should decide for herself. The next scene is Brandon crying at a strip club with his father. No laughs. No comedy. This is the drama.
My crush on Scott is still in place. The character just feels out of place. There's a nice rant about blowjobs that doesn't fit with the rest of the comedy in the film, which means my hunch is that this is Scott's improv.
Everyone is allowed monologue moments, and Emmie finally faces her demons (if we can call them that), but it's not until the very end. Remember how Garden State went home again and it felt fresh? This is the leftovers.
FINAL SCORE: 4/10