Igby Goes Down – 0 stars
It dragged but that was the least of its problems. Wrapped around a punk of a little rich kid, we are introduced to the various scourges of the upper class, as they live drug-addled, hypocritical lives. Igby (Kieran Culkin) is there to smarm his way through the existence, bemoan his pill-popping, domineering mother (Susan Sarandon), his coldly efficient and soulless brother (Ryan Phillipe), and his go-go godfather (Jeff Goldblum). But he has a schizophrenic father (Bill Pullman), an unhappy childhood, and some poor counseling. So, he’s suffered. While “rebelling” (i.e., escaping various boarding schools and bumming off of people in New York), Igby harshly judges those around him, has sex (Amanda Peet and Claire Danes) and comes to terms with . . . well, he doesn’t really come to terms with anything. Rather, we see him go through his angst, punctuated by slow motion scenes of our Igby running through New York – lost, yes lost in a world of hypocrisy, poor Igby – to the beat of some really hip song.
This film might appeal to folks who fantasize about always having the perfect come-back and who fancied themselves terribly oppressed and misunderstood (because of their unflinching truth-telling and high standards) when they were teens. Folks who lived high school with a really cool soundtrack in their heads, and who think schizophrenia is bad, but it may just be honest.
The film is crap. If you want to see a funny, soulful and intelligent slice of New York teen, see Tadpole and if you want to see Kieran Culkin play in a coming of age flick with heart, see The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.
