Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: MY OLD ASS [Sundance Film Festival 2024 - Park City, Utah]
The aspect of perspective and how life should function is at the cornerstone of what fuels "My Old Ass" [Premieres]. While a genre fantasy in many ways, it uses a grounded perception in many ways to keep its main character Elliott (Maisy Stella) from skewing too far off kilter. The concept of the movie is build into an experiment of sorts that opens up a communication line between two places that should not exist. As a practical exercise, it makes no sense but in keeping with perhaps more 80s tinged romantic comedy/dramas/fantasies, the earnestness of the characters allows it to exist in its own arena of sweetness and reality. Aubrey Plaza, without giving the essence of the ploy in a way, parallels Elliott and gives her a mirror to play against while also a irony of sorts. While the essential snarkiness of both women suits this very well, the underlying covering which masks an empathy is in a way what makes it work. Sometimes it is overplayed. Sometimes it is underplayed. Stella understands that this is a girl in flux who perhaps doesn't understand the true meaning of time or maybe of even full consequence. Recommendations and advice is made and given, both ignored and embraced. But it is that simple aspect of fate slamming against time without hitting it over the head that makes it believable. Elliott also has certain other personality elements that tend to play against each other to good effect.
The great aspect of the film is its hope. It does get schmaltzy at times but never really steps over the line too much. One moment at the end which can play very differently depending on one's perspective elicited some laughs from the audience, some awkward and some intended, so it will be interesting to see how it moves forward (because it is a key seen necessary to sell the whole movie -- and its performances). Again the suspension of disbelief is required heavily but the charactrs that surround Elliott [even that of Chad (Percy Hynes White) whom one assumes has some ulterior motive] have good intentions. The scenes can shift in tone for sure but the best moments reflect in the earnestness of when Stella as Elliott is trying to be something better when maybe she might not understand why. This happens with her brothers, her dad, her friends, Chad and especially her Mom. One of the most beautiful moments in the film is small exchange between her and her mother about her as a baby and the essence of memory. It doesn't feel like a monologue but is very orgnaic and escapsulates evertthing that the film is trying to say. This essence of regret, not because of pain, is an interesting parallel (This reviewer though of the same loss shown in the 80s film "Flight Of The Navigator") because it is not really about time lost but what can't be remembered. The progression of the film does end in an expected but nicely open ended way showing that while we are ourselves, sometimes we never change. B+
By Tim Wassberg
