FilmSnobReviews

Title: Ashby
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Tony McNamara
Starring: Nat Wolff, Mickey Rourke, Sarah Silverman
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

What It Is: Ed (Wolff) is a very indecisive young man. He doesn’t really take initiative with the things that happen in his life. His parents just divorced, he is now at a new school, and he doesn’t really fit in. When he is tasked with interviewing an older person he elects to interview his new neighbor Ashby (Rourke). After discovering that Ashby is not the man he claims to be Ed and Ashby bond over the life advice he offers Ed that can possibly change his life.

What We Think: Ashby is very by the numbers in regards to hitting all the genre notes. In addition it doesn’t know what tone to have throughout. It turns from teen dramedy to coming of age film without ever really fulfilling the needs of either of those genres. Rourke goes through this thing pretty unenthusiastically. Nat Wolff is solid, as usual, and he makes his character at first very unlikable but than we we do grow with him as his arc comes along. Your ancillary characters are good enough particularly Emma Roberts as an MRI obsessed manic pixie dream girl Eloise.

Our Grade: C-, Not a great film by any means and most of it’s problems stem from it’s direction being well…directionless. A lack of solid tone also comes from the directors duties not being fulfilled. Nat Wolff will hopefully continue his hot streak of good performances despite whatever film he’s in. I’d like to see him in more good films. I’ll recommend this since it’s only on VOD, so if you’re looking for something to watch on some random Tuesday this is something that’ll be enjoyable to you. So there’s that.