SXSW Film
Reviews and interviews
By Clay Smith, Fri., March 20, 2009
Alexander the Last
Narrative Feature, Spotlight PremieresD: Joe Swanberg; with Jess Weixler, Justin Rice, Barlow Jacobs, Amy Seimetz, Jane Adams, Josh Hamilton
It's easy to see why the talented cast of Joe Swanberg's Alexander the Last signed on to make the movie: The script memorably delineates what it feels like when an actor's art intrudes on an actor's life. Indie stalwart Weixler (Teeth, Peter and Vandy) plays a young New York actress whose musician husband (Rice) is on tour and absent from her life just at the moment in their budding marriage when a mysterious, soft-spoken actor (Jacobs) gets the part opposite her in a play that requires them to simulate sex. And just for kicks, he's new to town and needs a couch to sleep on. Weixler steals the show here, equally adept at playing the flirtatious ingenue and sincerely befuddled person her character is. But a movie that depicts how confusing the line between art and life can be for an actor can't itself be confusing; the director's collage of scenes ends up feeling fuzzy. (Alexander the Last is also available for viewing on demand at IFC's Festival Direct.)
Saturday, March 21, 11:30am, Austin Convention Center
