Don't get me wrong—the Sundance Film Festival is a prestigious collection of cinematic undertakings and each movie that debuts at the fest carries the the weight of that cred in its distribution afterlife.
But that doesn't necessarily mean they're all exceptional.
Hello I Must Be Going, the latest film from director Todd Louiso, is a likable dramedy that tackles the not-so-heavy turmoil of divorce, wealth management, liberal arts degrees and love in Westport, Connecticut. Amy is a broken 34-year-old, living back at home with the parents after her marriage to a high-paid entertainment lawyer crumbles apart. Equipped with a half-completed photography Masters, she quickly settles in to a lackadaisical routine, filled with tortilla chip lunches and repetitive viewings of Marx Bros. movies. Life is in the dumps. But Amy unexpectedly reawakens after a chance meeting with the 19-year-old son of her father's client. Their uncouth, secretive relationship quickly escalates to one of passion and love, and the affair triggers Amy to rethink her life.
The brief description may sound like your run-of-the-mill indie, but thanks to the talents of its lead Melanie Lynskey, who broke out in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures and continued to wow in movies like Win Win and Up in the Air and small screen roles like Rose on Two and a Half Men. the movie transcends its conventional narrative to become an enjoyable, naturalistic and often hilarious relationship comedy. After Must Be Going, I strongly believe Lynskey has the potential to be leading lady in an even bigger film, helping continue the great new Hollywood trend of trusting female-fueled comedies. She has charm, can pull off slapstick gags and glows on screen.
My Sundance partner in crime Katey Rich (whose Sundance coverage you can read over at CinemaBlend) once again joins me for a video blog, with a few more thoughts on Hello I Must Be Going, along with more on Beasts of the Southern Wild, the movie I raved about yesterday.
You can contact Matt Patches directly on Twitter @misterpatches and remember to follow @Hollywood_com!