OLDER

Stars: Guy Pigden, Liesha Ward-Knox, Astra McLaren, Harley Neville, Samantha Jukes and Michael Drew.
Writer/Director: Guy Pigden.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

A very adult film about how hard it is face adulthood, director Guy Pigden’s maturing man-child comedy/drama Older has been gestating longer than the grown-up inside his lead character, frustrated filmmaker Alex Lucas. Shot in 2013 and toyed with over the past half-decade as the multi-hyphenate channelled crowd funds and downtime into its post-production, what emerges is an engaging, Apatow-esque study in how some young, white, middle-class guys take a bit longer to realise just how f**king fortunate they really are.

Which is not a slight, in any way. In fact, Pigden’s sophomore feature (his 2014 debut, the undead romp I Survived a Zombie Holocaust, became a midnight-movie favourite) embraces a beloved cinematic tradition of privileged, self-pitying protagonists who learn to rely upon love, luck and introspection to snap them out of an existential funk (some recent favourites include Orlando Bloom in Elizabethtown, 2005; Hugh Grant in Music & Lyrics, 2007; and, Paul Dano in Ruby Sparks, 2012).  

Directing himself, Pigden picks up Lucas’ life as it stagnates in his parents’ home. The twenty-something has lost touch with his creative potential; he was a sort-of promising director, but he’s now embracing a new lease on his old life - daytime booze and bong hits, hours of video game indulgence and a lot of routine wanking (the film might have premiered sooner had Kleenex negotiated a product placement deal). 

A best friend’s wedding leads to a reconnection with two ghosts of girlfriends past - the spirited, successful, sweet-natured Jenny (a wonderful Liesha Ward-Knox, the film’s scene-stealing, breakout star; pictured, top, with Pigden), a platonic high-school chum who instantly recognises Alex for what he has become but warms to him anyway; and, bombshell party-girl Stephanie (Astra McLaren; pictured, below), who reignites their on/off passion, a fate to which Alex doesn’t entirely object. All three leads offer up plenty of skin (Pigden and McLaren especially leave little to the imagination) that might push censorship boundaries in some territories.

While plot machinations unfold in a not unfamiliar manner (jealousies develop; tragedy strikes; betrayals and dishonesty emerge), Pigden's script nails some profound truths, certainly enough for the traditional ‘romantic/dramedy’ narrative structure to hold secure. As one character notes, “This moment is all that matters,” and the film embraces that ethos. The hero’s journey is bolstered by deftly-handled support players, including Harley Neville and Samantha Jukes as newlyweds Henry and Isabelle, repping the facade that is ‘suburban bliss’ for many, and Mike Drew and Michelle Leuthart as Alex’s parents.  

It is likely that the post-production passage-of-time has allowed the filmmaker to reassess the essence of Alex. The first half of the film plays rom-com giddy at times, whereas the third act feels as if the director is far more engaged with the maturing of his character. Pigden cites as an inspiration Richard Linklater, whose 2014 Oscar-winner Boyhood also benefited from an extended production schedule; both that film and Older capture the filmmaker in the early stages of their craft, then as a more wisened storyteller. 

Most importantly, Pigden never loses focus of the unlikely (if somewhat inevitable) romance at the film’s core. It is a heartfelt union made all the more affecting in the film’s final moments by characters who, like their director, have found wisdom and truth over a long journey.

OLDER is in limited release in New Zealand with other territories to follow. It is also available to rent or buy as a download on Amazon Prime, Google Play and other platforms via the official website.