Review of Alexander the Last (2009) by Alex M — 13 Mar 2009

Mumblecore auteur Joe Swanberg ("Nights & Weekends", "Young American Bodies") has made the film that is most likely an outgrowth of reconciling issues that have to had come up in his real life and marriage with this effort. Any doubt we might have to that interpretation of art imitating life is squelched by the first end credit "For Kris" (Kris is his wife).

Jess Weixler, of "Teeth" indy/cult film fame, plays a young married actress that must deal with the emotional complications of rehearsing a play that has some racy sex scenes with an actor that she is attracted to while her musician husband (played by Justin Rice of "Mutual Appreciation") is out on tour. From that pitch alone, the arc of the film's narrative is pretty much a foregone conclusion and the most conventional of any of Swanberg's films. And this time, since everyone knows the trajectory this time, the verite.