Igby Goes Down is one offbeat movie Ultimately, it succeeds thanks to a riveting and most unexpected performance from Kieran Culkin.

Seventeen year old, Igby lives to infuriate nearly everyone in his family. Particularly his nagging mother (wonderfully played by Susan Sarandon). Of course mom isn't exactly Ms. Popularity herself. In fact, Igby's older brother (played by Ryan Phillipe) is sick of the nagging as well. With help from Igby, the two conspire to fix the situation. Of course, the film really isn't about that. This movie is more about what makes Igby tick, as the young man engages in one strange scenario after the next, trying to figure out who the hell he is along the way.

Igby Goes Down is part drama, part biting satire, and part mean spirited comedy. While there really isn't anyone to sympathize with in this picture, it remains intriguing the same way The Royal Tenenbaums was. I wouldn't say this is in the same league as the underrated Wes Anderson winner, but it reaches for the same sort of tone.

The eccentric performances really make Igby Goes Down worth watching. Susan Sarandon excels as a heartless bitch. As bitter as she seems, you can always see the desperation just beneath the surface. Bill Pullman turns in an all to brief but heartfelt performance as Igby's father. Jeff Goldblum also shines as the new man in Sarandon's life, a sort of eccentric wacko with a junkie girlfriend (Amanda Peet) on the side. Claire Danes shows up as a strange, hippie chick who ultimately captures Igby's eye and heart. It is Culkin, however, that carries the movie as the confused and cynical Igby. Even while this character is a wise ass and seemingly withdrawn from those around him, Culkin brings sympathy and vulnerability to this role. Upon watching this performance, I could only wonder if Culkin drew from real life drama to bring this interesting character to life.

Igby Goes Down is dark, mean, and even a tad misoginistic, but it won me over with it's strong performances and it's fascinating, if not bizarre, examination of a dysfunctional teenager searching for his identity. I think this Culkin is in it for the long haul.