Review of I Am Not a Hipster (2013) by Todd G — 07 Jun 2012

Affecting view of an unhappy artist who must come to terms with grief and anger. The artist's music plays perfect counterpoint to his strong performance.

Director Destin Cretton creates a semi-autobiographical story which Dominic Bogart brings to life. The use of the Hipster persona is both a source of acclaim for the main character and a shield of anger and disdain to avoid connection with others. Too raw to be just a send-up of the culture, this tale shows that we should let go of inconsequential things, not vilify them.

However, the character is pretty unrelenting on himself with his constant brooding. The ability to like this character wanes even as his likability increases due to the arrival of his sisters. For some viewers, we see the "why" of his resentment too late, for others just barely in time to make the movie amazing.