COMIC DRAMA; 1hr 37min
STARRING: Toni Collette, Thomas Haden Church, Oliver Platt
Reel life: Collette and Church
Ellie Klug (Collette), senior writer at Seattle’s digitally challenged Stax mag, knows the music industry backwards, professionally and personally. A night-owl haunter of clubs, gigs and the beds of young guys, a palpably knackered Ellie has just about had it with the whole, reeky scene. So when her editor (Platt) strongly suggests she track down her first boyfriend from 10 years ago, Matthew Smith, for a breakthrough cover story, she is resistant. Matthew is now an iconic rocker, at best elusive and at worst deceased. Either way, Ellie has zero desire to go there — but then, she does need to eat.
Her ill-starred travels are filmed by amateur documentary-maker, and sort-of ex, Charlie (Church, a fresh charge), who has more money than horse sense. With a new muso (Ryan Eggold) on the scene, as well, Ellie is suddenly a bit busy, although never too busy, this being a schmoozy, lived-in situation from director Megan Griffiths and screenwriters Emily Wachtel and Huck Botko. Taking their sweet time, Ellie and Charlie worm their offbeat way under your skin as they meander, drolly then poignantly, sparring all the while, toward a pitch-perfect reveal.
