SUNDANCE 2007

Sundance Review: The Go-Getter

by Alex Billington
January 30, 2007

• US Release Date: Sundance Film Fest 2007
• Genre: Drama, Comedy
• Running Time: 93 minutes
• Directed by: Martin Hynes
• on IMDb
•    8.5/10

Directed by Martin Hynes, the guy who plays George Lucas in the short movie George Lucas in Love, comes an incredibly well-made, beautifully photographed, and experimental road trip film. In The Go-Getter, youngster Mercer (Lou Taylor Pucci) steals a car from a car wash in Oregon to drive to Nevada to find his brother and alert him of his mother's death. After calling the cell phone she left in her car, Mercer strikes up an awkward relationship with the owner of the car, the rather lovely Kate (Zooey Deschanel), and comes across "bad girl" female friend Joely (Jena Malone). This coming-of-age story was an unexpected delight found at Sundance and a film that deserves much more buzz than it's currently receiving.

The Go-Getter just has a certain unique quality to it - it's not a hilarious comedy, but it has plenty of well-placed laughs that hit right at the perfect moments. It's reminiscent of a Michel Gondry structured film with a country western feel - even the poster is simplistic, using the imagery of the cowboy hat alone. The plot is great but a bit choppy, but it's the peculiarity of Zooey Deschanel and Lou Taylor Pucci's perfect portrayal and their initial connection only over the phone that adds so much depth. On top of the story, The Go-Getter has an amazingly well-defined gritty visual style, some of the best cinematography in any film at Sundance. The Go-Getter is just an awkward love story that somehow works out, but is something I can find myself watching over and over again. This unique and experimental film definitely needs to be explored in the same way many divulged into Brick after its Sundance premiere as well.

Filed under Movie Reviews, Sundance 07

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