Finally, a Culkin who can actually act

Having just stepped out of the theater after seeing "Igby Goes Down," my mind is in a bit of a muddle. For one, I'm amazed at the quality. For another, I'm stunned that someone in the Culkin family can actually act (the main character, Igby, is played by Kieran Culkin, younger brother of Macaulay).\nThe story centers on Igby, a disillusioned teen, the product of a high-society marriage. Igby and his mother, Mimi (Susan Sarandon), have what could politely be described as an adversarial relationship, mostly due to Igby's lack of motivation regarding schoolwork. Igby's inadequacies are only magnified by the successes of his cruel "young Republican" older brother, Oliver (Ryan Phillippe, playing against type). Disillusioned by the hypocrisy of East Coast high society, Igby flees to the wilds of Manhattan, in a desperate attempt to find some meaning in his life.\nHis trip is certainly an unusual one, as he winds up with a constantly bored nymphomaniac (Claire Danes) for a girlfriend, whilst hiding out in a loft owned by Igby's fabulously rich godfather, D.H.(Jeff Goldblum). To top it all off, the loft is also occupied by D.H.'s mistress (Amanda Peet) and a drug-dealing performance artist (Jared Harris).\nCulkin is wonderfully cast as Igby, and he does an excellent job with what had to be a rather difficult role. Danes is also enjoyable, doing a respectable job and making up for the train wreck that was "The Mod Squad." Most interesting, though, is the writing; the film was written and directed by Burr Steers, a relative unknown who's had a few minor roles in some Quentin Tarantino pictures. His directorial and writing debut is certainly admirable, and one can only hope his future work will be of this same caliber.