Booksmart (2019)

Every now and then, a new high school coming-of-age film makes its way into our heart and instantly becomes a classic. Recently, thankfully, we've had plenty of female-led ones — just think of Easy A, The Edge of Seventeen, or Lady Bird. Olivia Wilde's directorial debut, Booksmart, is not quite the revelation I was led to believe it'd be, but it's nevertheless a smart, energetic and fun teenage film with a nice twist on the genre.

Eighth Grade (2018)

I was checking my Twitter feed when I saw many tweets about Elsie Fisher, specifically praising her performance in Eighth Grade. I had never heard of her nor about the movie but everyone seemed to love both her and the film so I checked it out.

The film tells the story of Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher), a shy, insecure and socially awkward teenage girl who suffers from anxiety and yet makes YouTube videos where she dispenses life advice. It follows Kayla as she navigates through the final days of eighth grade and goes through a series of emotions while trying to put herself out there. Whatever that means —if you've seen it, you know what I mean. 

We Are the Best! (2013)

Many years ago, when I was looking for god only knows what kind of movies (I thought it was movies based on true stories but apparently I was wrong), I stumbled upon We Are the Best! (Swedish: Vi är bäst!), added it to my watchlist and completely forgot about it. Now it has popped out again so I finally checked it out. 

Set in 1980s Stockholm, the film tells the story of Bobo (Mira Barkhammar) and Klara (Mira Grosin), two 13-year-old tomboys who love punk. Sick of being told that punk is dead, they decide to form their own band. There's a problem though, they don't know how to play so they decide to ask another girl at school, Hedvig (Liv LeMoyne), who is not a punk but is still an outcast, to join them as she actually knows how to play. 

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

Genres

Comedy | Drama

Director

Kelly Fremon Craig

Country

USA

Cast

Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Hayden Szeto, Eric Keenleyside, Laine MacNeil, Katie Stuart, Alexander Calvert, Meredith Monroe

Storyline

Life is not easy for Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) and it gets even more unbearable when her all-star older brother (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend (Haley Lu Richardson), leaving her even more alone.

Opinion

Everyone has been saying so many nice things about it, the hype was up to the root for "The Edge of Seventeen". I was still kinda afraid it was going to be just another coming-of-age, but it actually lived up to the hype. It indeed was a funny and fresh teen dramedy.

The film has a very simple, basic and very John Hughes's style plot with some predictable turns and several clichés of the genre but it is so beautifully told, it still manages to keep you engaged through the end. 

The greatest thing about having a basic plot is that it allows the film to be a good character study. And, much to my surprise, there is some good character development here - I was expecting more to be done with the character of Krista, though. Anyway, the characters feel like real people and because of that it's very easy to see the perspective of each of them, and equally easy is to relate to the problems Nadine, the main character, faces.

"The Edge of Seventeen" isn't only addressed to teens, but to all young people in general, as it deals, more than anything, with the sense of loneliness that haunts many young people.

However, what really makes this film stand out from its genre is the cast. Hailee Steinfeld is excellent as Nadine, the teenage girl who doesn't fit in and basically carries the film, and her performance alone is worth the watch. She is provided with a solid support from the other actors among which Woody Harrelson stands out as Mr Bruner, the teacher that ends up being Nadine's friend. I loved their relationship and how it is neither too dramatic nor too awkward.

Girlhood (2014)

Original Title

Bande de filles

Genre

Drama

Director

Céline Sciamma

Country

France

Cast

Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumare, Cyril Mendy, Djibril Gueye, Binta Diop, Chance N'Guessan, Rabah Nait Oufella, Damien Chapelle, Nina Melo, Elyes Sabyani, Halem El Sabagh

Storyline

After meeting a group of 3 free-spirited girls, Marieme (Karidja Touré) starts a new life. She changes her name, her dress code, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping that this will be a way to freedom.

Opinion

In 2014, another film with a similar title came out, "Boyhood", but they couldn't be more different so I don't really get critics relating the two films. Linklater's is a simple coming-of-age, no matter how good it is, it still is a coming-of-age, period. 

"Girlhood", on the other hand, is a pretty good coming-of-age film, but it also is a beautiful, authentic, interesting and emotional portrayal of the hardships of young women, specifically in the suburbs of Paris.

After "Tomboy" - which I'm yet to see but I've heard only good things about it -, French director/writer Céline Sciamma continues portraying the search for a place in the world and for an identity, which are typical of that period in life that seems to becomes more and more difficult, adolescence. And not only she does that with a lot of sensitivity, but she does not judge the actions of the characters. 

All she does, with a very quietly paced narrative, is focusing on the main character, Marienne, a 16-year-old black girl living in the suburbs of Paris, a girl that is oppressed by her family, especially by her bigger brother, and that tries as hard as she can to earn her freedom.

Sciamma does such a good job that, just like her, we won't judge Marieme for the things she does, rather we'll be able to understand her decisions. And that's because we get a true sense of her circumstances as the director wonderfully explores what it means to be young, uneducated and black in France.

However, the greatest strength of the film is Karidja Touré. The young actress carries the whole film on her shoulders, she delivers a powerful performance as Marieme and she is the one that makes the film so engaging. 

Hello, My Name is Frank (2014)

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Dale Peterson

Country

USA

Cast

Garrett M. Brown, Rachel DiPillo, Hayley Kiyoko, Mary Kate Wiles, Travis Caldwell, Tess Harper, Wayne Duvall, Brent Briscoe, Nate Hartley, Ray Xifo, Kitty Swink, James DuMont, Eileen Galindo, Karina Bonnefil, Graham Sibley

Storyline

Frank (Garrett M. Brown), a 59-year old recluse who suffers from Tourette Syndrome, embarks on a road-trip with a group of teenage girls.

Opinion

Making a film on those with diseases isn't the easiest thing to do. Things get even more complicated when adding comedy because chances are the film is going to be offensive. Chances are the film won't be able to be funny and respectful at the same time. That being said, "Hello, My Name is Frank" finds the perfect balance between drama and comedy, and the result is a funny, sensitive and moving road-trip film.

The film mostly focuses on Frank, an elderly man with severe Tourette Syndrome, as he copes with the loss of his caregiver along with her daughter Laura. He has both physical and verbal Tourette, which means he both has ticks and verbal outbursts.

The filmmakers managed to portray Frank as a human being, as a 'normal' person just like me, and showed the person behind the syndrome, a man with dreams like everyone else. Sure, Frank's outbursts can be funny sometimes, but the filmmakers don't emphasise it, on the contrary they move on like nothing happened. 

In addition to Frank, the film features other interesting and well crafted character, in particular three teenage girls: Laura who always puts the others first as a way to distract herself from the pain of the departure of the mother, Alisa who lives everyday like it's her last and Kim who is struggling with her faith, and the future her parents decided for her. This three additional characters makes the film successful as a coming-of-age tale as well.

The acting is arguably the best part of the film. Garrett M. Brown is fantastic as Frank. Actually he owns the role and helps the audience to get inside Frank's head and feel the character. Good performances also come from the younger cast. Rachel DiPillo does a good job portraying Laura and her pain and Mary Kate Wiles makes you sympathize with her character, but the stand out is Hayley Kiyoko and her portrayal of Alisa that is far away from the stereotypical free-spirit girl. 

It released on VOD on May 17th. Definitely worth checking out. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Country

USA

Cast

Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal, Connie Britton, Chelsea T. Zhang, Katherine C. Hughes, Natalie Marchelletta, Matt Bennett, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Hugh Jackman, Gavin Dietz, Edward DeBruce III

Storyline

Seventeen-year-old Greg (Thomas Mann) has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother (Connie Britton) forces him to befriend Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a girl he hasn't spoken to since kindergarten, who has leukemia.

Opinion

Before saying anything else, it had to be mentioned that this is nothing like "The Fault in Our Stars". This is not a romance, and this is not about dealing with cancer, so stop thinking about that film, because it would be a blasphemy to even compare the two pictures. That being made clear, let's jump into the real deal.

A soulful take on the coming-of-age genre, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" is a subtle and delightful portrait of the birth and development of a beautiful, unfortunately doomed friendship.

That's right, the main theme of the film is not the adolescent terminal illness which has now become a firm element in coming-of-age stories in both literary and cinematic field - even though it has a central role in this story -, but the friendship between Greg, an awkward guy who created an emotional barrier towards everyone to avoid suffering, and is afraid to grow up and face the responsibilities that the adult world would imply, and Rachel, a girl who is the portrait of maturity, and has rationally accepted her terrible fate.

The great and clever screenplay by Jesse Andrews, author of the novel this film is adapted from, deals with sickness in a wonderful and human way. Whether through comedy, wit or drama, Andrews made a remarkable story.

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who is known for his work on American Horror Story and was a personal assistant to Martin Scorsese and Alejandro Iñárritu, shows his talent with beautiful stop-motion animation, and a great camera work, which resemble the symmetrical precision of Wes Anderson. The cinematography is gorgeous and gives the story so much life.

Along with a beautiful soundtrack, the film also features a young and promising cast. Thomas Mann does a great job as Greg; his detached performance is spot-on! However, Olivia Cooke was the biggest surprise to me. Based on her performance in "Ouija", my expectations were very low, but she gives a heart-felt performance as Rachel. R.J. Cyler also bring an excellent performance as Earl, Greg's co-worker. The supporting cast does a great job as well, especially Connie Britton, Molly Shannon and Nick Offerman. And I must mention Jon Bernthal who just proved me you can't dislike an actor because of a single role. 

Ultimately, this is a must watch for everyone, and just because there isn't a love story it doesn't mean it's not emotional. Just be careful who you watch it with, it will make you cry.

 "Dear Pittsburgh State Admissions, I'm writing on behalf of someone who gave me half a year of his life at the time when I was at my most difficult to be around. He has a very low opinion of himself, which is why I think it's necessary that you hear from someone who sees him as he actually is: A limitlessly kind, sweet, giving, and genuine person. No matter how much he would deny it. The drop in his academic performance this year is the consequence of all the time he spent with me and the time he spent making things for me and how hard that was for him. You can ask him about it, but his sort of over the top humility will probably get in the way. No one has done more to make me smile than he has. And no one ever could." - Rachel

Theeb (2014)

Original Title

ذيب 

Genre

Adventure | Drama

Director

Naji Abu Nowar

Country

Jordan | United Arab Emirates | Qatar | UK

Cast

Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen, Hassan Mutlag Al-Maraiyeh, Jack Fox

Storyline

During World War I, a young Bedouin boy (Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat) experiences a greatly hastened coming of age as he embarks on a perilous desert journey to guide a British officer (Jack Fox) to his secret destination.

Opinion

As the night of the Oscar approaches, I'm trying to catch up on the films I've missed, and here I am, reviewing this beautiful little gem.

Feature length debut of Jordanian director Naji Abu Nowar, "Theeb" is a touching and thoughtful story of boyhood, manhood, survival and betrayal beautifully captured from start to finish.

We find ourselves in those same remote deserts that many years ago accommodated Lawrence of Arabia. Theeb's trip however is far less adventurous, and, unaware of the world and the men inhabiting it who do little good and a lot of bad, the young boy is forced to abandon childhood and he is catapulted into manhood.

With a simple, yet engaging and never boring story, and through the eyes of a boy, Naji Abu Nowar tells how war enters the nomadic life and upset the traditions, rules and balance of the people living in those lands.

Wolfgang Thaler's eloquent camerawork is fascinating and he captured the stunning scenery so beautifully that helps suggest emotional state. Not least is the extraordinary and hypnotic exotic musical score.

Nowar's decision to use non-actors in his debut was a bold move that eventually turned out to be absolutely spot-on. Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat portrays young Theeb wonderfully, and provides a sorrowfully expressive lead, and the affection for each other conveyed by him and Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen (real-life cousin) is so intense that quickly wins you over. Hassan Mutlag Al-Maraiyeh does a fine job and he's menacing just enough as the ruthless Stranger.

If the wolves offer friendship, do not count on success. They will not stand beside you when you are facing death.

Almost Famous (2000)

Genre

Drama | Music | Romance

Director

Cameron Crowe

Country

USA

Cast

Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Zooey Deschanel, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk, Bijou Phillips, Noah Taylor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Terry Chen, Jay Baruchel, Jimmy Fallon, Rainn Wilson, Mark Kozelek, Liz Stauber, John Fedevich, Eric Stonestreet, Michael Angarano

Storyline

High-school boy William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.

Opinion

I've been told to watch the director's cut if I had the time, and even though last night I was very tired, I decided to go for it. Best decision I've ever made.

Incredibly entertaining, funny and surprisingly heartwarming, Almost Famous is not just another film about music, but one of the finest films about music ever made.

Director and writer Cameron Crowe made precious his long experience as a rock music critic and journalist, and crafted a wonderful film that has so much to say about the music industry: band, fandom, and cynicism of journalism. Also he wonderfully balanced the comedy and drama elements. 

The writing is just fantastic. The plot is quite simple and a bit predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable, even if like me, you don't particularly like rock music. The dialogue is overall good, even though many of the great lines belong to McDormand's character. The characters are also great and you actually care about them. I appreciate what Crowe did with the mother character, because he went beyond creating just an anti-rock character but gave her enough space, and good development.

The soundtrack is spectacular. Everything from Simon & Garfunkel to The Chipmunks, from Led Zeppelin to Elton John is spot on. And I repeat, I am not a big fan of rock music.

The acting is top notch. Cameron Crowe did a wonderful job assembling this cast. Patrick Fugit steals the show as William Miller, the precocious rock 'n roll journalist. Billy Crudup and Kate Hudson both do a great job and have a tension filled chemistry that perfectly goes along with the story. Philip Seymour Hoffman is wonderful as Lester Bangs. Needless to say is that Frances McDormand is absolutely perfect as Elaine, William's mother. I don't think anyone else could have done so good with that character.

Quotes

Penny Lane: I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if ya never take it seriously, ya never get hurt, ya never get hurt, ya always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Richard Linklater

Country

United States

Cast

Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Milla Jovovich, Shawn Andrews, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Sasha Jenson, Marissa Ribisi, Deena Martin, Michelle Burke, Cole Hauser, Christine Harnos, Wiley Wiggins, Mark Vandermeulen, Esteban Powell, Jeremy Fox, Ben Affleck, Jason O. Smith, Christin Hinojosa, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughey, Catherine Morris, Nicky Katt

Plot

It is May 28, 1976, the last day of school at Lee High School in the suburbs of Austin, Texas. The next year's group of seniors are preparing for the annual hazing of incoming freshmen, and everyone is trying to get stoned, drunk, or laid.

Opinion

Directed and written by the amazing Richard Linklater, Dazed and Confused shows the highs and lows of partying, friendship and drugs. Underrated and ignored at first, later achieved cult film status, in my opinion, this is one of the best teen films ever made.

The cast is great: it is no wonder that a majority of them - Jason London, Milla Jovovich, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Sasha Jenson, Parker Posey and Matthew McConaughey - became major stars. 

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Cynthia: God, don't you ever feel like everything we do and everything we've been taught is just to service the future?

Tony: Yeah I know, like it's all preparation.

Cynthia: Right. But what are we preparing ourselves for?

Mike: Death.

Tony: Life of the party.

Mike: It's true.

Cynthia: You know, but that's valid because if we are all gonna die anyway shouldn't we be enjoying ourselves now? You know, I'd like to quit thinking of the present, like right now, as some minor insignificant preamble to something else.

Rating

8.5/10

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Stephen Chbosky

Country

United States

Cast
Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Melanie Lynskey, Julia Garner, Nina Dobrev, Johnny Simmons, Paul Rudd, Tom Savini, Joan Cusack, Nicholas Braun, Reece Thompson

Plot
Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman) is uneasy about beginning his freshman year of high school: he's shy and finds difficulty in making friends.

Charlie is befriended by two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and her step-brother Patrick (Ezra Miller) and he begins to share social activities with them. 

At a house party Charlie unwittingly eats a cannabis brownie, gets high and discloses to Sam that the year before his best friend committed suicide. Sam realizes that Charlie hasn't other friends so she makes effort to bring him into her group of friends.

Opinion
This film is brilliantly crafted and reflects the fast-paced world we live in. Stephen Chbosky, writer and director,  pander his cast, giving more space for the editing.

Logan Lerman perfectly represents Charlie; sensational are the performances of Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. 

Quotes
I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report due on top of that. Or wondering who did the heart breaking. And wondering why.

Rating
8.3/10

Boyhood (2014)

Genre

Drama

Director

Richard Linklater

Country

United States

Cast
Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Libby Villari, Marco Perella, Jamie Howard, Brad Hawkins, Jenni Tooley, Richard Andrew Jones, Karen Jones, Bill Wise, Zoe Graham, Charlie Sexton, Barbara Chisholm, Cassidy Johnson, Richard Robichaux, Tom McTigue, Will Harris, Andrea Chen, Maximillian McNamara, Taylor Weaver, Jessi Mechler

Plot

The film tells the story of the life of Mason Evans Jr. (Ellar Coltrane), from the age of eight to the age of twenty, describing his relationship with divorce parents, removals, new schools, the failed marriages of his mother (Patricia Arquette), the troubled relationship with his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), the new family of his father (Ethan Hawke), and the cultural, social and political changes in years. 

Opinion

Boyhood or "The Twelve-Year Project" is outstanding. Linklater has assemble the same crew and the same cast every year for 12 years to film some scenes, in order to follow the growth of the characters with the actors'.

The film (165 minutes) is smooth, never boring and has no special effects. It’s useless to mention the cleverness of the two young actors, of the director and of the Arquette-Hawke duo.

Quotes

You know how everyone's always saying seize the moment? I don't know, I'm kind of thinking it’s the other way around, you know, like the moment seizes us.

I just feel like there are so many things that I could be doing and probably want to be doing that I'm just not.

Rating

9.0/10