In the new ‘inspired by a true story’ drama “Tow”, Rose Byrne gives a stronger performance than her recent, Oscar nominated work in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”. Amanda Ogle is a Seattle woman whose car was stolen and then impounded. She can’t afford to pay the fee to get her 1991 Toyota Camry — her current home following a separation from her husband — out of the tow yard. What follows is a compelling saga, and a number of the key details of what happened in real-life play-out in the film.
All the characters in “Tow” pop. Amanda meets many quirky, though not stereotypical, people along her journey. They’re played by Oscar winners Octavia Spencer and Ariana DeBose, singer Demi Lovato, “The Holdovers” breakout star Dominic Sessa, and “Red Rocket”’s Simon Rex. Elsie Fisher from “Eighth Grade” plays Amanda’s daughter, who we see in cutaways during phone calls. Corbin Bernsen takes-on the role of the bad guy, who’s holding Amanda’s car hostage.
Director Stephanie Laing and writers Jonathan Keasey and Brent Boivin reference and then present parallels to Elle Woods and “Legally Blonde”. And they’re valid. Amanda (often dressed in pink) is determined to do what’s right, fighting the legal system for what she believes in.
However, unlike Reese Witherspoon’s duo of comedies, there aren’t many laughs in “Tow”. Anytime there’s forced humor, including a handful of wacky, cartoony scenes, the movie loses its way, before getting back on track within a minute or two. When the tone is gritty and serious, Byrne, Spencer and others shine.
If you’ve never had your car towed, or are not familiar with the A&E docuseries “Parking Wars”, you may find some of the situations that occur in “Tow” to be truly eye-opening. The script gets a lot of details and emotions right.
The first act definitely hooks you. The middle chunk is a little messy. The final section is handled pretty well.
LCJ GRADE: B-
Running Time: 105 min.