Izzy Gets the Fuck Across Town

Izzy has to get across town to tell her ex boyfriend something. And she makes an epic journey. The most engaging scene is the one when Virginia challenges Izzy to tell something to Virginia's husband. It's a pity that this subplot isn't followed up or expanded. Izzy's journey is certainly eventful, and makes an interesting watch.

'IZZY GETS THE F*CK ACROSS TOWN': Three Stars (Out of Five)

An indie comedy-drama about a desperate woman trying to get across Los Angeles, to her ex-boyfriend's engagement party so that she can crash it. The movie was written and directed by first time feature filmmaker Christian Papierniak. It stars Mackenzie Davis, Alex Russell, Carrie Coon, Alia Shawkat, Haley Joel Osment, Lakeith Stanfield, Brandon T. Jackson and Rob Huebel. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, and it's now playing in indie theaters like Portland. I found it to be mostly a pointless bore, but it does have it's moments though.

The film tells the story of a woman named Izzy (Davis). Izzy wakes up one morning in bed with a guy she doesn't know (Stanfield), or remember how she met him. She then decides she needs to get across town, in Los Angeles, to her ex-boyfriend's engagement party, so that she can crash it. Along the way Izzy meets an assortment of characters.

The film is really random, and kind of pointless, until it's conclusion. I do appreciate it's climax though, and how it unfolds, but the rest of the film I could have mostly done without. Davis is good in the lead role though, and the supporting cast is all decent as well. I was mostly bored throughout it though.

Thats essentially what this is. I say this. not to call the movie derivative, but to warn you that you should watch this with that expectation. I enjoyed it, because I liked clerks and thats the kind of film this ended up being. You follow izzy along with a cast of amusing but aimless trashy LA millennials on her journey to ruin a wedding. Its even told with a indie punk OST and in 10 or so chapters with breaks just like clerks. Nothing happens the way its supposed to as this is not a julia roberts movie and it just kind of ends. I liked Mackenzie Davis quite a bit. She played the part of a more realistic mess of a pixie dreamgirl well. I was charmed and disgusted, as you should be. The reason I give it something more like a 7 as apposed to a 10 because I feel like the scenes where izzy is having emotional introspective moments she did not emote well in so you're sort of left scrounging to figure out what shes supposed to be feeling and its awkward. That and I agree with others that the ending doesn't fit the film stylistically. The outcome is fine, but the way they get there doesn't fit with the dirty punk visuals and sound to the rest of the movie. That said I'd happily go watch MD in whatever she does next and I'll be open minded towards the writer/directors next project.

I shouldn't be surprised by the reaction to this film, in a time when indie films have to be brutally realistic, or feature decayed characters, or have scenery gnashing performances to make a mark. There can't just be chaotic, sweet little movies made about someone's ordinary life, someone's annoying, trashed, tender youth - if they don't make a profound statement about life.

But these little movies always seem to have startlingly true moments, stunningly real feelings. They're not throbbingly stylish or cinematic, so they let their characters come through, sometimes with painful honesty - Izzy manages to be a crashing fail, and at the same time, her experience of the pain of first, and long-lasting love is like a honeycomb crushed in a fist.

She's dirty, wild, funny, lazy - but look at how she folds down onto the bathroom floor and doesn't cry, but lets out this half scream, half moan as the person she's built so much of herself in has just walked away. Watch how she looks at her embittered sister who she used to be so close to, while they sing a song they put so much of their youth and essence into. There's love, there's fear, shame, longing - but there's still that dazzle of hope in her eyes. She's still young, and she hasn't been crushed into uniformity yet.

How can you not feel the truth of this? The fine line between hope and fantasy is a tightrope she walks the entire time. Is what she wants beautiful from afar, but up close, when it opens its mouth, is it just ridiculous? What is the fate she's going to make, if she decides to let go of the one she's been hitching her heart to half of her life? I wish I could've stayed with her longer to find out.

I really wanted to like this film, despite the mixed reviews. I enjoy a lot of the cast and was especially psyched to see the talented Mackenzie Davis given a project to carry. And for the first hour or so, I wasn't disappointed. But the last act (pretty much everything after the point where she confronts her former friend and leaves the party) is downright terrible. Neither what happens to her the next morning nor the very last scene makes any sense considering what comes before. It seems tacked on, like there was an original ending that didn't play well with preview audiences. This could have been so much better.