Review of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008) by Ashley T — 23 Aug 2009

A thoughtful drama, if a little too earnest at times. Though a tad slow at the start, the story finds it's feet as soon as Peter Sarsgaard arrives, saving grace of indie film once again. He breathes life into a dull script with a character that is flawed and immensely fun to watch.

Not having read the novel, I'm led to believe that his character is a hybrid of two different characters from the source material, and it works beautifully, I can't really imagine how the story would go if he was split into two people.

The three main characters, each a point of a twisted love triangle, build tension that simmers slowly to a boil. Jon Foster and Sienna Miller aren't quite as interesting to watch individually, but play important roles in a story that belongs entirely to Sarsgaard.

Why this man doesn't get more lead roles is the biggest mystery here. The secondary plots involving Foster's overbearing father and sort-of-but-not-really girlfriend are forgettable and horribly acted, but even a few of those moments have some so-bad-it's-good value.

While I won't call this top-notch cinema, it's definitely an overlooked gem and worthwhile for Sarsgaard alone.