Perfect casting can make up for a tremendous number of flaws from the other parts of a film that don’t quite meet its own level of standards. Perfect casting has the ability to make audiences and critics forgive aspects that might stand out even more if casting wasn’t done well-or marvelously.  Having now its own Oscar category, casting is now being recognized to be deserved merit- and rightfully so.  If along with perfect casting you also perchance mix in perfect timing to release your film and you have hit what many in the industry refer to as the goldilocks window. It definitely eases the austerity to its reception. “Tow” is a great example of perfect casting mixed with perfect timing. namely with its lead Rose Byrne. An actress that other film critics have cited as the-other great actress performance last year- with her performance in “If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You”. A performance deserving of its nomination. In addition to releasing “Tow” nearly immediately after the Oscar award night and among film fans and critics Rose Byrne is now in many as the topic of discussion.  To have Rose Byrne in your film right now as her  stock rises does elevate this film rating. “Tow” is not a bad film, but it’s good because of who is in it. 

One of the serious problems of the film is its dubious plan to focus mainly on the class struggle in the film rather than the personal responsibility of how each character arrived in the situation they are in. The film brutally and bluntly shows the realm of “the haves and the have not” while subsiding the crucial element that Rose Byrne’s character “Amanda” is an alcoholic. A script decision that would have been better if reversed.  Almost as if the script itself is a delusional alcoholic that wants to project that clumsily rationing many alcoholics proclaim. “If the world just stops messing with me, I’ll stop drinking.” The script just glosses over the personal responsibility of Amanda’s struggles with addiction. Amanda’s main obstruction isn’t so much the class struggle as her own obstacles she places before herself.  

I’ve mentioned many times on other podcasts and my own as well. Having your lead character being an alcoholic and making audiences have empathy and sympathy for is very difficult-nearly impossible. You have to balance out the good times of drunkenness and the dire results of the addiction. A challenge for writers than many would just prefer not to divulge in. 

Again, the casting in this film is its greatest facet of the film. Simon Rex, Elsie Fisher, and Octavia Spencer and Dominic Sessa are all sensational. Corbin Benson being the sort of antagonist was smart as well. More proof that casting is just terrific. The performances elevate the film not just high enough for being great. The unevenness of the editing and sufficient cinematography, as well as, a delinquent script caps it from being so. 7/10