Messy

In her first film, which she both wrote and directed, actress, comedian, podcast host, and blogger Alexi Wasser cast herself as Stella Fox, the woman at the center of a story about contemporary dating in New York City. Wasser’s podcast a decade ago, “Boy Crazy,” dabbled in similar territory. In Messy, Fox finds herself navigating a romantic scene that’s filled with uncomfortable demands for sexual performance. (The film begins with Fox’s hysterical speech to the camera about the expectations and tribulations of hooking up.) The heroine remains optimistic (or is that delusional?) that any of these hookups might last. Once the main plot device is introduced — she is hired to write a series of articles about New York dating life for a smarmy magazine publisher — the film and its protagonist are free to misbehave royally. Living in Tudor City, Manhattan (where Wasser actually resides), Fox beds men willy-nilly with plenty of accoutrements, recreational drug use, binge drinking, and shallow sex. She is on a desperate hunt to connect. The men she seduces are vain and possessive, with sexual quirks that seem overly influenced by social media and online porn.
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In her post-screening Q&A, Wasser described the genesis of her film in a monologue that was as wild as the film itself. (The audience gave her a round of applause.) Asked if these dates were based on her real-life experiences, she replied “not the worst parts.” As for the genesis of the movie, Wasser explained that when she first arrived in New York, her pitches and screenplays were summarily turned down. Rather than take that as a defeat, she decided to write a film that could be shot on a low budget based on what she knew or imagined about the city’s dating scene. The ensemble of actors who agreed to sign on to the project include Adam Goldberg (Dazed and Confused), Ione Skye, Thomas Middleditch, Jack Kilmer (son of Val), and Mario Cantone (Sex and the City). David Lowrey (The Green Knight), who acted as a producer, also makes an appearance. This group of seasoned indie actors knows how to keep a sitcom aloft — I was laughing and cringing throughout Messy.
At the Provincetown Film Festival, meeting and talking with filmmakers after most screenings is easy. Wasser is a bundle of energy and seemed genuinely flattered when I told her how much I enjoyed her film. I added that my wife, a psychotherapist, thought the film was sad. “Oh, I know,” she said, “but tell her I’m really OK.” I later discovered she is the daughter of a renowned photographer, the late Julian Wasser, who documented major moments of the ’60s and ’70s, including the iconic photograph of Eve Babitz playing chess naked with Marcel Duchamp.

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