Igby Goes Down

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Film!
Review: The performances the actors deliver (Jeff Goldblum, Amanda Peet, Susan Sarandon, Claire Danes, Ryan Phillipe and especially Kieran Culkin) are superbly nuanced, making the film compulsively watchable. I saw this movie last night at an industry screening, and I didn't really know what to expect - but every aspect of it was remarkable: the soundtrack was fantastic, the acting was incredible, and most importantly (to me) it was completely un-Hollywood...the filmmakers have succeeded in creating something that is both funny and, at times, harrowing. Ultimately, it's one of those rare films where you'll recognize some of the characters, undoubtebly see some of yourself and definitely feel for everyone. As I watched it, I couldn't help but think that the director did the most important thing correctly: this is a film that is all the better because everything isn't sacharine-sweet...and in that, it's a true reflection on life.

Rating:
Summary: Quirky characters, fine dialogue, and sparkling performances
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: realistic, emotional, brilliant!
Review: When I first saw this movie I knew that it was one that I was able to relate to - Igby's struggle of not wanting to be a part of a government that has failed him and the few people he cares able. It's surprising to me that the people I know who have seen this movie have not been able to relate to it even though they seem to come from simular lives. I guess not many people are able to understand and relate to this movie so well.

Rating:
Summary: I fell in love with this movie.
Review: Wow, honestly, I was shocked by this movie. Shocked because I end up ALWAYS watching movies that are awful attempts to capture market share on a friday night.

My previous favorite movie was American Beauty, now it is Igby Goes Down. Igby Goes Down was well directed, well acted, and best of all well written. It captures Igby's life (Kieran Culkin), my life, and the life of many others appalled by a heartless, cold, and self-serving upper class. Believe me, from the perspective of a Cornell University student studying business/engineering, but really interested in sociology, psychology and how the world works (not scientifically, but socially), I will tell you that this movie spells reality like no other. It takes everything that upper society ignores and brings it out for you, yet brings it out with great taste and "dark humor" as they call it on the box.

In the end, this movie was well done and well worth your time if you are looking for a movie to get you thinking.

Rating:
Summary: Funny, but heartbreaking at the same time
Review: Watching this movie, I found it to be really disjointed, with sometimes mis-matched & unrelated scenes. However, that's the good thing about the movie. It's not trying to be anything superficial, or an unreal look at a teenager's life. It's telling it honestly as it possibly can, and if it doesn't make sense, then you obviously don't understand the movie.

I've never really seen Kieran Culkin as an adult in films, so I hope this means he's finally coming out of his brother's shadow. (Look out for another Culkin brother, Rory, as a young Igby, in terrifying scenes, watching as his father's schizophrenia slowly took over. Exactly how many of these kids are there, running around? Macaulay, Rory, Quinn, Christian, Shane and Dakota. Anymore we should know about?!). I've seen him as a younger actor in films like She's All That, Father Of The Bride 1 & 2, and Home Alone 1 & 2. His character, Igby, is very hard to like and understand, but little clues are scattered throughout the movie - his father's schizophrenia is obviously deep rooted, and he's scared of ending up the same; his mother (played magnificently by Susan Sarandon) never really showed him any love, is self absorbed, and favoured his older brother (Ryan Phillippe, in a role similar to the one in Cruel Intentions), and also Jeff Goldblum, as his phony godfather. Cover your eyes when Igby walks into the room and sees Jeff Goldblum in his y-fronts: that image is burned into my mind now, along with Ozzy chasing a burglar naked. The degeneration of Amanda Peet's character is almost painful to watch.

I've read some reviews that compare this to Catcher In The Rye, which I've never read, but I'm curious, but probably not that curious. It was always one of the recommended books at school, but I never got round to it I guess.

There's probably a few things I'll never understand about this movie, particularly why Igby takes his mother's pills, apart from the fact to annoy her. Or why Ryan Phillippe drinks scotch. Or why they decide to kill off the mother, because of what sounded like snoring! Or the scene with the two schoolgirls fighting. What the hell was that all about? And seeing Jeff Goldblum with his trousers around his ankles was necessary to the storyline why?! I think my poor eyes could have handled his shirt off, but that was too far.

This film is depicted as being a comedy (the only bit I laughed at was Igby getting hit on the head by a key), but it's emotionally charged, and will definitely leave an invisible mark on you for hours after watching it.

Rating:
Summary: Well-Acted by Sarandon and Cuklin but Salinger Did it Better
Review: I know the comparison is a too easy way to talk about 'Igby Goes Down' but I cannot help it. Anyone who read 'The Catcher in the Rye' will never fail to recognise the disillusioned voice of that boy here. And Igby, a rich, malcontent boy who keeps running away from establishment, is played by Kieran Culkin, who is good at showing this disillusion. So why not compare?

The story begins with a slightly comic touch, and then changes the tone in the second half. But as I said before, it is nothing original except one thing that you see at that opening (though that may not be as original as I think). Anyway, the film is about Igby, 17-years old, surrounded by adults who just don't understand him, at least, so he thinks. No school can interest him, as is the case with this type of film, and out of spite or whim, Igby runs away from the institutions to which his worried and high-strung mother Mimi (Suzan Sarandon) sent.

So, Igby goes down, involved with love affairs, or some chemical substances too (though the film's tone remains very understated). And of course you see dysfunctional family of Ibgy too; besides Mimi, Bill Pullman plays mentally ill father, and Ryan Phillips appears as apparently icy, detached brother of Igby.

And of course, again, Igby meets many people in a big city; an elder and sexy lady Amanda Peet, a rich but shady gentleman in expensive suit 'D.H.' (very good Jeff Goldblum with oily speaking), a lovely girl Sookie (Claire Danes) who just doesn't know what she should do, or just doesn't care; and 'an artist' (so he says) Jared Harris.

So far, nothing new. The recommendable things about 'Igby' are, in my book, its great cast, and mostly good acting from them, especially Ms. Sarandon. Even while she sleeps in bed, she can attract you with well-measured acting (and that's true, see the opening, like I said).

The film, however, is given little creactive energy, which is found in Salinger's book abound, and the quirky characters including Igby himself, though they are interesting to some extent, fail to impress us much because, I am afraid, they are too self-involved. They appear too unemotional, or apathetic sometimes, to make us care them, and the film itself as a result.

Mostly well-acted, 'Igby Goes Down' will attract you if you like Salinger's classic novel. But I don't think the film added something new to say about the disillusioned hero of our time.

Rating:
Summary: Quirky Poke at Dysfunctional Families
Review: For those days when your own family seems all wrong watch this movie! It is a funny, tragic and beautifully quirky look at family life with a fantastic cast to pull it off.

The writers for this film are very talented as they blend tragedy into a comic reality that somehow works. Igby (Kieran Culkin) just wants to grow up feeling important and ultimately loved. Unfortunately he belongs to a crazed and selfish family of mismatched efforts and gets lost in the entire dramatic shuffle. His mother (Susan Sarandon) is the ultimate drama queen only accepting what is right from her demented throne and harshly judging anything that falls short. Her husband (Bill Pullman), eventually cracks from the stress and breaks down right in front of poor young Igby's eyes. So life continues for Igby as he is shuffled from private school to military school and never quite grows up. Upon returning to New York he begins work for his eccentric and arrogantly obnoxious god father (Jeff Goldblum) and begins an affair with his god father's mistress (Amanda Peet), a drug popping dancer who never dances. Along for the rest of the ride are notables Claire Danes (playing a college girl on hooky) and Ryan Phillippe, as Igby's irritatingly perfect big brother. This cast is phenomenal with every actor playing their part to a tee and no one upending another.

I had no idea what to expect from this film but was pleasingly surprised as I related to the irony found in this misfit family. You may find characters that remind you of your own crazy relatives or you may be thankful for the lack of similarity as well! Overall this film is funny and sad sometimes exactly at the same time and you have to wonder how it all works. Igby may be on his way down but you will root for him to remain up!


Rating:
Summary: Faux-intellectual crap
Review: Absolutely awful. The director and writer desperately wanted to be seen as intellectual and deep, and set out by poorly copying Catcher in the Rye. While the acting is not all bad, it is not enough to save this piece of garbage. Spend the money you would have used to rent this on a paperback copy of JD Salinger's "Catcher In The Rye". No matter how you feel about "Catcher", you'll like it better than this crap- trust me.

Rating:
Summary: Quirky characters, fine dialogue, and sparkling performances
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: CRACKLING DIALOG IN A GRITTY BOHEMIAN DARK COMEDY
Review: If you enjoy narratives like American Beauty or Catcher in the Rye, you must watch this under-rated dramedy. Sufficiently quaint characters, a murky and disturbing story that manages to hold up because of its laconic wit, and a brilliant cast all round.

Culkin does fairly well in his role as a precocious kid who school-hops more often than he change his clothes, hates his quirky family (mother, father, brother all roles played by A-list stars), and eventually goes on the lam.

On the run in the big city, he meets up with various eccentrics: he finds refuge with his godfather's trophy girlfriend, a heroin addict played by Amanda Peet and her arty, bizarre friends. When this relationship sours he finds better solace with Sookie Saperstein (Claire Danes), a bored, ironic college student temporarily on the run from college.

It may be flawed and occasionally embittering. It may be (intentionally) artsy and ultimately obscure. But this stunning debut is an absolutely watchable treat that I'd recommend in a blink if you care about cinema that evokes thought.