Haul your old ass to MY OLD ASS therefore halting making an ass of yourself.
MY OLD ASS is an existential charmer spearheaded by a central performance by Maisy Stella.
Stella is simply stellar in this coming of age tale, playing 18 year old Elliott who during a magic mushroom high comes face to face with her 39 year old self played with adroit drollery by Aubrey Plaza.
Through delicious dialogue that sounds like real conversation, the older Elliott first has to convince the younger Elliott of her bona fides then prosecute the case against getting involved with a boy named Chad, although the reason for avoidance is not made clear.
Right on cue, soon after her trippy encounter with her future self, a boy named Chad shows up in the neighbourhood, played with adorable gormlessness by Percy Hynes White.
What’s a girl to do? Abide the soothsayer and beware this personification of the Ides of March, or abandon prophesy and see how the present pans out?
MY OLD ASS looks big from every angle. The three leads are big in talent, as is the supporting cast. It also looks big in entertainment and looks big in charm. It also looks big in location, the Muskoka Lakes district of Canada, where Elliott’s folks are cranberry cultivators.
There’s an echo of a rather famous film – fear of spoiler prevents me from naming it – that some viewers may twig to before the reveal, but that in no way jeopardises the perky enjoyment of this picture.
Writer director Megan Park has made a life affirming, live for today and not for tomorrow film that is funny and wise and irresistibly fresh.
Embrace MY OLD ASS and grab on to one of the genuine feel good movies of the year.
