MARTIN Hynes breathes new life – or at least introduces some novel quirks – into the overworked indie road-movie formula with the promising “The Go-Getter.”
He’s greatly abetted by the charming Lou Taylor Pucci (“Thumbsucker”), who shines as a young Oregonian who steals a car to go in search of the ne’er-do-well half-brother he hasn’t seen since childhood – to inform him of their mother’s death.
Sounds awful, but it isn’t.
The twist is that when our hero hears from the car’s owner, who calls him on her abandoned cellphone, she’s much more curious than angry. She just wants running reports on his adventures, which include encounters with a teen nympho (Jena Malone), a pornographer and a marching band.
“The Go-Getter” has unusually nice cinematography for a low-budget indie, and I haven’t gotten to the best part.
The enchanting voice on the phone, who delightfully shows up in person halfway through, belongs to Zooey Deschanel. In real life, she hooked up with the composer of the lively score, M. Ward, to create the pop duo She & Him.
Running time: 93 minutes. Rated R (profanity, sex, drugs). At the Quad, 13th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues.