Isabel Hagen is a ridiculously talented person. She’s a Julliard-trained violist who has toured internationally, played in the pit of Broadway musicals and performed alongside famous musicians and bands. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, she’s also a successful comedian responsible for viral Internet comedy sketches. She combines all of those skills in her first feature film, On a String, a semi-autobiographical story about a Julliard graduate playing odd gigs around New York City while she tries to navigate life after college.
There isn’t a job Isabel won’t take. Throughout the film, we see her play at weddings, funerals, botched marriage proposals, and private events, mostly alongside a quartet of classically trained friends. But when she reunites with an old flame, she learns of an opening at the New York Philharmonic and decides to audition. Between gigs, teaching lessons, frustrating moments with family and awkward romantic encounters, she meticulously prepares the audition material. Her friendships strain, her tendonitis flares up, and her anxiety slowly rises as the day approaches. The audition comes and goes without much fanfare, and she’s left to figure out what comes next.
Isabel (Isabel Hagen) talks with a dinner companion over a meal in On a String.
“But when she reunites with an old flame, she learns of an opening at the New York Philharmonic and decides to audition.”
It’s hard not to be impressed by Hagen, who not only writes, directs and stars in this film but shows off her astonishing viola skills throughout various music-focused sequences. It’s her talent that really propels the film forward, but not in the way you might think. She’s been playing an instrument since she was five, and was first accepted into Juilliard at age 12. She’s always been gifted, and like many talented youngsters, Isabel eventually hits a wall. The character in the film, likely based on real-life experience, is completely burnt out from carrying the heavy weight of expectations. She’s always comparing herself to the success of her former classmates, saddled with the sensation that she’s never good enough. Hagen’s screenplay viscerally brings these experiences to life. The audience can feel every ounce of that pressure. But despite the steady unease driven by Isabel’s search for belonging, the film is absolutely hilarious. Hagen’s comedic roots really shine, tapping into the relatable, awkward, and outrageous moments of a recent college graduate’s life in New York.
Hagen’s performance makes it hard to distinguish between character and reality. Isabel feels so lived in, likely because much of the role is crafted with Hagen’s actual life experience. Within moments of meeting her, it’s clear that something is off. Hagen imbues a listlessness and apathy into the role. Where is her passion? What’s she most excited about? What are her aspirations? The answers to those questions are hidden behind Hagen’s sturdy facade that only begins to melt away in the film’s final moments. The ensemble cast around her helps craft this unsettled atmosphere. Because while Dylan Baker smashes the role as the supportive father, Hagen’s real-life brother Oliver shines as her virtuosic sibling in the film, and violinist Ling Ling Huang easily assimilates into her role as Isabel’s sometimes discordant best friend, each of them is so brilliant that you can see why Isabel is being driven insane by their presence. It’s easy to feel inadequate when you’re constantly surrounded by geniuses.
“Do you love it?” Isabel asks her brother as he finishes playing the piano beautifully. Of course he does, but she clearly doesn’t love the life she’s worked so hard for. It’s not until she puts down her viola and frees herself from the expectations that she’s able to step back and appreciate the beauty of the world. Her future can wait; it’s her peace of mind she must uncover.
"…Isabel Hagen is a ridiculously talented person..."
