Hello I Must Be Going

"Hello I Must Be Going" is at once an intriguing character study and a refreshingly offbeat romance.

The movie's sharp-tongued and softhearted, a Sundance kind of film that mostly sidesteps generic Sundanceyness.

Sarah Koskoff's screenplay is flagrantly duplicitous, introducing the heroine as a self-pitying sloth, then trying to pass her off as likable by making nearly all the other characters drips, snobs, or unfeeling scolds.

Succeeds almost entirely on the strength of Melanie Lynskey's heartfelt and humorous performance in the lead role.

Sarah Koskoff's play-it-safe script and Louiso's heavy-handed direction combine to kill the potential of "Hello I Must Be Going."

Lynskey lets us see, from deep within Amy's fog, an instinctual desire to please, and a sense of innocent wonderment at how she could possibly have gotten into such a mess.

...a sincerely personal take on its subject matter, opting for three-dimensional leads and earned pathos over quirky character traits, cynical humor, or an invasively stylized visual approach.

Lynskey imbues the self-doubting Amy with such lightness that she manages to make neediness appealing.

A fine and funny film balanced perfectly between heartbreak and uplift, anchored by a rich, superlative turn from Melanie Lynskey.

I'm of two minds about Hello I Must Be Going. It's a slow-paced movie, and at times, too slow ... Yet the fine actors, especially the emotive-faced Melanie Lynskey and the restrained Blythe Danner, elevate the film well beyond its story line.

The film is worth seeing for the performances, but the drama is a nonstarter.