Writer/director/actor/violist Isabel Hagen effortlessly comes up with so many awkwardly funny moments in her debut ON A STRING, I started wondering how it is possible I hadn’t heard of her before.
Since her character is a violist named Isabel, I assume that the film is based at least partially on her own experiences. Isabel in the film lives with her parents and eccentric brother in NYC. She spends her days playing at weddings, funerals, random gigs, teaching kids, and going to auditions while also chasing romance.
The amusing supporting cast includes the great Dylan Baker as her father and Eric Bogosian as a furious film director. On A String is essentially a series of vignettes and that works a bit to its detriment. It is enjoyable from beginning to end, but at some point you start feeling it could have benefited from a more prominent storyline. That said I already consider myself a fan and will keep Hagen on my radar.
