A ROTTEN TOMATO: Girl Most Likely

With a cast that includes Annette Bening, Kristen Wiig, Matt Dillon and Darren Criss, I expected "Girl Most Likely" to at least be mildly amusing. Well, that wasn't the case as this comedy is largely humourless. It's a real shame because the plot had some seeds of potential that would have allowed the film to flourish with this talented group of actors.
The story follows Imogene (Kristen Wiig), a young playwright who loses her job and her boyfriend in New York City, prompting an emotional breakdown that leads to a fake suicide. Due to her unstable mental state, she's forced to move in with her eccentric mother in New Jersey. Unfortunately, they have a strained relationship. This is further exacerbated by the fact that also has to deal with her mother's disengenuous boyfriend (Matt Dillon), her awkward brother (Christopher Fitzgerald) and a strange young man (Darren Criss) who is renting her old room. As she slowly reconnects with her hometown community though, she gradually fines new meaning in her life.
These characters and the themes lay the foundation for an interesting character study, but the film gets stale very quickly. Despite the offbeat characters, the performances aren't nearly quirky enough to make them interesting. Whoever's decision it was to downplay the comedy made a huge mistake. Furthermore, there are some interesting ideas of depression, family and tolerance, but the screenplay is reluctant to dig any deeper than the basic plot outline. To be honest, it's a cowardly screenwriting effort.
"Girl Most Likely" is easily one of the most disappointing films I've seen this year. It wastes a perfectly capable cast (especially Kristen Wiig who found great success with a similar character in "Bridesmaids") on a script and a pair of directors who clearly don't have a proper grasp on the material. As a result, it's a film that is thoroughly lackluster. I'd skip it.

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