neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Igby Goes Down
	Burr Steers Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Jared Harris, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Bill Pullman, Susan Sarandon 2002		Kieran Culkin, younger brother of Macauley Culkin ("Home Alone") is quickly trumping his sibling in the thespian game. It's apparent that Kieran's memorable performance as a Catholic-school troublemaker in "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" was no fluke. His presence and depth as the Holden Caulfield-ish title character in the smart, darkly comic "Igby Goes Down" is confirmation of his skills. Igby is a sarcastic, insubordinate preppie in conflict with those who molded him: his wealthy, massively screwed-up family. If his self-centered mother (Susan Sarandon), schizophrenic father (Bill Pullman), amoral, ambitious older brother (Ryan Phillippe) and manipulative, high-rolling godfather (Jeff Goldblum) have twisted him, the willful college girl Sookie (Claire Danes) and his godfather's trophy girlfriend (Amanda Peet) have turned Igby's head. Writer/director Burr Steers lets the cast breathe life into these amusing sociopaths, and makes Igby sympathetic as the boy tries to hold it together from one crisis to another.