Review: Bel Powley shines in the otherwise lackluster ‘Carrie Pilby’
The bubbly Bel Powley stars as “Carrie Pilby” in an adaptation of Caren Lissner’s novel, written by Kara Holden, and directed by Susan Johnson in her feature directorial debut. This urban dramedy follows Carrie, a 19-year old Harvard graduate, who may be book smart but who is failing real life. Equipped with a list from her therapist (Nathan Lane), Carrie sets out to tackle such tasks as “go on a date” and “spend New Year’s with someone.”
“Carrie Pilby” is a studiously quirky affair, but only the natural charm of Powley salvages that tone. The film swings wildly from melancholy to wacky, never truly melding the two; it somehow also lacks verve and energy. A pair of oddballs she befriends at work (Desmin Borges and Vanessa Bayer) offer some excitement, but they are dropped while Carrie is caught in complicated relationships with older men.
She finds herself involved with one man (Jason Ritter) who’s engaged to be married, and tangles with her father (Gabriel Bryne) and therapist, all while being tormented by flashbacks of a bad relationship with a truly icky English professor (Colin O’Donoghue).
The film trots leisurely from one of Carrie’s unusual interactions to another (it could have used a stronger edit), but despite her protestations, she’s not all that strange. Luckily, Powley’s sheer star power brightens up the unfortunately lackluster “Carrie Pilby.”
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‘Carrie Pilby’
No rating
Running time: 1 hour, 38 minutes
Playing: ArcLight Hollywood
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