Midwest Ennui

COLUMBUS (2017) (C+) - Expectations were crushed after finally getting around to screening this moody character study set and shot in Columbus, Ind. It's too lethargic to spark inspiration in the viewer, and it borders on dull and repetitive.

John Cho (the recent "Star Trek" series of films) stars as Jin, a man returning to the Midwest after his father, a noted architect and professor at the local university, ends up in a coma. Jin runs into Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), a fan of his father's work, a bright young woman who refuses to pursue an education because she wants to help her mother recover from drug addiction.

Cho and Richardson (one of the best things about "Support the Girls") are naturally charming, but writer-director Kogonada (a prolific maker of short films) goes all in on gloom to the detriment of narrative. Parker Posey is downright neutered as a soccer-mom-coifed acolyte of the architect father. Jin and Casey admire the architecture of Columbus (Kogonada has an eye for framing) and smoke a lot, but virtually nothing happens, plot-wise, and the two hours can drag. Rory Culkin brightens the proceedings in just a couple of scenes as Casey's library co-worker. But by the end, we don't care about Casey or her mom; we just wish both of them would do something interesting.

BONUS TRACK
A highlight -- and a welcome jolt of energy -- comes courtesy of the Ettes and "Eat the Night":