'My Old Ass' review—Aubrey Plaza's comedy is refreshing and profound
The coming-of-age, fantasy comedy-drama film My Old Ass arrived on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday following a limited theatrical release in the US. The breezy, refreshing, humorous film has a large beating heart, is anchored by a committed, convincing performance by Maisy Stella, and benefits greatly from Aubrey Plaza's extended cameo. Sharp, intelligent, and mature, it's directed by Megan Park.
What will you do if you meet your future self?
On her 18th birthday, Elliott (Stella) tries drugs and begins hallucinating, conjuring an image of herself. The twist? The other Elliott (Plaza) is 39! The older Elliott advises her younger self, telling her why her desperation to grow up, leave home, and detach herself from family isn't the best idea, and how she must stay connected to her roots. Will the independence-loving 18-year-old listen?
Asks you to tackle life one day at a time
MOA makes a profound case for not becoming a prisoner of the past or constricted by the anxieties of the future, but instead, living in the moment, because it'll slip away faster than we know it. When Elliott realizes this, she begins spending time with her family—something she wanted to avoid initially. In doing so, she stops these moments from forever freezing in time.
It has immense wisdom at its heart
The first few frames may lead you to believe that it'll be another run-of-the-mill, predictable, superficial story about young adults and their confusion about life, but My Old Ass goes much deeper than that. It teems with significantly heavy, poignant themes and blends them with humor so expertly that it never becomes overtly melodramatic or tedious. There's a ferocious, refreshing energy coursing through it.
How it drives its themes across
In one emotion-heavy scene, Elliott's mother, upset that her daughter is about to leave for college, has a heart-to-heart conversation with her, saying, "I was thinking about you last night." This beautifully-acted, well-written scene is a stark reminder of the times when we begin to miss, grieve someone while they're still there, but planning to move away. It's a bittersweet, heavy human emotion.
The dialogues provide ample support to the actors
The hefty, earnest dialogues carry the entire film. For instance, at one juncture, Plaza says, "When you get older, time goes by so fast. The only thing you can't get back is time." Hits a little too close to home, doesn't it? Speaking of Plaza, even though she appears only briefly, we constantly feel her presence, and her trademark deadpan humor never misses.
Makes for a quick weekend watch
About one hour, and 25 minutes long, My Old Ass is crisp, sharp, and fast-paced. No scene overstays its welcome, the central plot is not stretched thin, and the familiar elements don't bog the film down. While predictable, it's still the kind of film where you want to hug the characters, because somewhere, you see yourself in them. 3/5 stars.
