Can a mid-life crisis sneak up on a 35 year old? Let's not be ageist about this matter, of course it can.
Gillian Jacobs translates her wonderfully sassy yet confused young woman character of "Love" (Netflix, worth the binge) into aspiring author Kate Jacobs, rebounding from a cancelled book tour to revisit her alma mater at the request of her old prof crush.
Mayhem ensues. Well, not really, but something better. Whilst her friends are back home with very pregnant bellies, single Kate anxiously jumps back into college, if only for a brief escapade. Enraptured by the youth and vitality of her previous life, Kate slips back into a comfy place, leaving her spiralling mess adult self behind.
Avoiding sliding into "Animal House" debauchery, "I Used To Go Here" tackles a series of comedic and romantic escapades in a fresh, believable manner. Kate's complicated relationship with her old mentor (a wonderfully nuanced turn by Jermaine Clement) is at the core of the film, isn't dwelled on but played out naturally, and revisited cleverly when the movie comes full circle.
All this rests on the lead's shoulders, and she manages to shoulder it quite well. Jacobs is that rare breed: a wide-eyed actor who is both endearing and relatable enough to carry the movie, which as it turns out, is pretty good.
Gillian Jacobs translates her wonderfully sassy yet confused young woman character of "Love" (Netflix, worth the binge) into aspiring author Kate Jacobs, rebounding from a cancelled book tour to revisit her alma mater at the request of her old prof crush.
Mayhem ensues. Well, not really, but something better. Whilst her friends are back home with very pregnant bellies, single Kate anxiously jumps back into college, if only for a brief escapade. Enraptured by the youth and vitality of her previous life, Kate slips back into a comfy place, leaving her spiralling mess adult self behind.
Avoiding sliding into "Animal House" debauchery, "I Used To Go Here" tackles a series of comedic and romantic escapades in a fresh, believable manner. Kate's complicated relationship with her old mentor (a wonderfully nuanced turn by Jermaine Clement) is at the core of the film, isn't dwelled on but played out naturally, and revisited cleverly when the movie comes full circle.
All this rests on the lead's shoulders, and she manages to shoulder it quite well. Jacobs is that rare breed: a wide-eyed actor who is both endearing and relatable enough to carry the movie, which as it turns out, is pretty good.
- hipCRANK