AFF 2008 Reviews

I'll Come Running

In former Chronicle contributor Parsons' feature directorial debut, the drowsy conventions of mumblecore get the shot of emotional calamity they've been crying out for, exposing a generation's disaffection and irony as little more than protective cover against a world of real hurt and desire. Up-and-comer Diaz (Be Kind Rewind) plays Veronica, an Austinite with a lousy job and a sharp tongue who learns the hard way about the dangers of falling in love with a Danish backpacker. Though modest in tone and ambling in structure, I'll Come Running is smart enough to know when to keep its audience at arm's length and passionate enough to understand when to pull the rug out from under its feet with a great emotional wallop. Co-starring Lange as the traveling Dane Pelle and Tafdrup as his mess of a best friend, Søren, I'll Come Running is a heartfelt and observant drama about the wreckage that piles up when love, lust, guilt, confusion, curiosity, and loyalty come crashing together.