A collapsing plot punctuated with comedic antics typical of the youth generation: there comes a point in a young girl’s life that she is shocked by her future self as she searches for her guidance, clearly something had gone wrong in the society. There are multitudes of culture shock, learnings as well as laughter and maybe even some tears to go along with it.
But what Megan Park has done with ‘My Old Ass’ is completely believable and endearing that she has found fresh perspectives into all too familiar women centric stories. This is not quite the character swap rom-com style of Freaky Friday nor is it the time travelling story akin to 13 Going on 30. It’s kind of both, but also none (And it’s great, for instance, to have watched ‘My Old Ass’ about 24 hours after ‘The Substance’; the extent of such combination will be the subject of thousands of dissertations). The narrative history of ‘My Old Ass’ is based on this old fashioned premise but then developed in today’s reality and modern decor and cast of extremely anatomical selected actors.
As a writer and a director, Park presents radically different work following her directorial debut, a drama called ‘The Fallout’ in 2021 based on the lives of young girls dealing with the effects of a shooting incident in school.
But Park’s sharp sense of observation and sensitivity towards her characters are still in place. With genius, Park doesn’t feel the need to explain how the timing of this intergenerational connection works and indeed there is no need; any questions are inconceivable because her two lead actresses have dangerously infectious chemistry with each other. All you will want is to remain in their company for as long as time permits and indeed, in this case, time is of the essence for each and everyone.
Maisy Stella as Elliott, the edgy teenager star of the movie, entirely steals the show. If viewers of “Nashville” had any inkling of the Canadian singer- actress, this is the performance which will make her a household name. It will be said years from today that this is the performance that hinted at great things to come for her. Stella would be best remembered for her dimensions of a screen presence, bone-chilling comic timing, and a face that literally goes where the action is. It is a strong and impressive debut feature film.
Aubrey Plaza has achieved a certain level of fame throughout her career, however we are happy to see actresses like her showcase versatility in the roles they play rather than conforming to their usual roles as comedians in films such as “Emily the Criminal” and “Ingrid Goes West”. In this film, Plaza embodies the role of a thirty nine year old Elliott (who vehemently asserts is NOT middle-aged) during a wild mushroom trip with two of her good friends. The point of the joke is that Stella’s appearance is nothing as her character landscape but the similarities in the actresses’ sarcasm allowed them to find a connection. While Plaza is dry, Stella’s transforming views into a bubbly soul. And before you know it, these two appear to be the same.
After spending a few wonderful months at home, a few weeks left until she moves to Toronto and, for example, Parsons Dean, Elliott enjoys a night in the woods while stargazing with her old friends Ro (Kerrice Brooks) and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler, Park’s co actor in “The Fallout”). Having just touched the hallucinogenic drink, she encounters not only her vision but her older self.
Elliott includes in her set of questions pretty much everything you would like to ask yourself if you could travel twenty years forward in time. And yet, Older Elliott decides to be coy and not disclose everything to her. What she does share, though, is this very concrete advice: Do not go out with men named Chad.
It is unfortunate that the attractive and charming summer worker on her family’s cranberry plantation in Ontario has the name Chad, Percy Hynes White. Elliott manages to avoid him, but gradually she starts to have feelings for him and wonders who he is. It annoys her for several reasons: First, her elder self has warned her against all Chads. Second, Elliott has always considered herself homosexually oriented, and this newfound attraction makes her speculate that her sexuality is not so absolute.
Fortunately, after that night, Older Elliott has locked herself up in younger Elliott’s phone. She is able to get in contact with her through calls and messages even after that night.
If there was still any doubt in their minds, they should be pleased about the success of this little experiment. But naturally, as she is portrayed as being on the edge of womanhood, Elliott, however, has to learn a lot on her own including learning to deal with her younger siblings Seth Isaac Johnson and Carter Trozzolo and how to actually spend time with her mother Maria Dizzia, who is always an unsung hero.
Park definitely enhances the story by developing characters with depth, but he also has a knack for writing places. My Old Ass is foremost shot at the beautiful lakes located around the farm. The enchanting sparking waters enjoy gold evenings only to be interrupted by heavy ominous clouds. Altogether a very romantic and pensive atmosphere is established through the lens of the talented Kramer Correll. The interspersed and the soothing stillness seem very individual, but it is at this time of Elliot’s life, when everything seems to fall in place, which resonates with many, making the film quite touching.
At the end of the picture, Polk has to cope with quite difficult changes of the mood: there are dramatic and hopeful chords accompanied by comedy, while layering hope to the story. And the more she exposes them more the captivating the characters become. Particularly so Older Elliot of Plaza who appears only in a few episodic shots but leaves quite a mark.
Younger Elliott may not form comprehension as of now but at least there is a paradigm shift and she is gaining ground in terms of making the inquiries.
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