groktalo Reviews

Clueless (1995)

A witty parody on life of high school kids from wealthy backgrounds

[10/10 · 2 March 2013]

"Clueless" is one of the classic teen movies from the 1990s. It is feel-good, hilarious and witty.

A majority of teen movies tend to involve exaggerated characters, grotesque behaviour and bland dialogues. Not this one.

The lead female character, Cher, is spoilt, arrogant, manipulative, good-looking, fashion-obsessed and a daughter of a rich lawyer. Her attempts to help the others improve their personal lives are either motived by her selfish interests or are helpful distractions from her own loneliness, which is mainly a side-effect of her arrogance. Despite all that, her character is in fact very likable, simply because there is no real malice in anything that she does. Plus, she is a genuinely caring daughter. Even her needling jokes at the expense of her a couple of years' older ex step-brother are in fact relatively benign reactions to his unjustifiably stereotypical opinion of her.

The other characters are very entertaining and tend to end up looking a lot deeper than what a viewer might think of them when they are first introduced. This is actually quite a refreshing trait of this film.

Anyway, what really sets this movie apart from much of the rest of the genre is an abundance of witty retorts. This is what makes you not feel like you can hardly wait for the predictable ending.

In sum, "Clueless" is one of the very few movies from the teen comedy genre that I cannot fault.

Post Grad (2009)

Light-hearted entertainment

[6/10 · 27 February 2013]

The storyline is mainly about the sobering process of fresh College graduates, who face "the real life" for the first time.

The lead female character finds out that sheer enthusiasm and confidence alone might not suffice in the attempt to secure a future one aspires to. The lead male character learns that a combination of avoiding difficult decisions and living in denial is hardly the wisest approach to leading one's life. Granted, those are hardly ground-breaking insights, but it may still be fun to watch the process of coming to terms with the reality that those insights refer to.

Most of the other characters are there for the comic element.

Finally, the acting is passable considering the limitations of the script and the light-hearted spirit of the movie.

The Art of Getting By (2011)

Worth seeing

[10/10 · 11 February 2013]

Being a child in respect of responsibilities, an adult physically and somewhere in between intellectually is what being an adolescent means. This confusing state of affairs may lead to many different scenarios. One of those is a detachment from day-to-day life and questioning generally-accepted reasons for striving and achieving, which is the main topic of the movie.

There is always the question of how realistic certain events in any movie are. This one looks fairly realistic to me, even though some situations might look like a stretch. What is more important is that the storyline neatly shows that the entire life is a collection of choices, some of which are inconsequential and some other have far-reaching consequences.

Also, the movie nicely shows that "the meaning of life" does not necessarily have to be equated with the purpose of our existence. In fact, it comes across quite nicely that one can and should find meaning in making an effort to get anything one happens to need or desire. Therefore, even doing one's homework can have a meaning beyond the homework itself.

The acting might not be spectacular, but is certainly good.

In conclusion, I would thoroughly recommend the movie to the teen audience, but also to parents of teens and pre-teens.

Whatever It Takes (2000)

OK idea, very poor execution

[2/10 · 11 February 2013]

Even though creating a modern version of Cyrano de Bergerac is not a novel approach, the idea is still fine if it is executed well.

The issue with "Whatever it takes" is that the execution is worst bit. The characters are grossly exaggerated, the scenes that should be moving are in fact outright ridiculous and the ending is awkward, to say the least.

As for the acting, Marla Sokoloff appears to be getting progressively bored with her character, as the plot is developing. As for the others, the characters they are playing are so grotesquely meaningless that no serious acting effort would have been needed anyway.

Finally, the only reason why this movie is not getting an 1 out of 10 is that are a few brief moments in the movie that could appear funny to someone.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Fairly realistic

[9/10 · 10 February 2013]

The initial set-up of the storyline resembles a usual teen chick flick. Much to my surprise, the rest of it is not like that at all.

The time-frame for the story seems to be the one when I was a high school fresher, so I was quite curious to see if I can relate to anything I see in this movie. Granted, there are some elements of the plot that are inevitable in any high-school movie that is based on trials and tribulations of social misfits.

However, the characters are certainly not portrayed as childishly egoistic as they appear in most teen movies. In fact, the level of maturity of the main characters, the types of issues that they are forced to deal with, as well as the outcomes of typical conflicts in a high-school setting all look fairly realistic.

The acting is quite good, in my layman view.

The only reason why I would not give it a ten out of ten is the absence of humour. It appears as if there is too much effort being placed on avoidance of cheesy scenes. However, funny is not necessarily a synonym for cheap. That aside, this is a highly recommendable film.

My Sassy Girl (2008)

Not very convincing

[3/10 · 9 February 2013]

It is a remake, so it's nothing new by default. However, if we pretend that it wasn't a remake, it would still be nothing new. A story about an unlikely couple experiencing trials and tribulations en route to some sort of resolution is not a novel approach to romance.

The acting was OK, but not spectacular. Maybe the lead characters did not quite fit the actors or maybe it was something else, but I just did not find them entirely convincing. As a matter of fact, I could not really care less what the final outcome of the story would be and I am the kind of person who watches Christmas Hallmark rom coms.

Granted, the movie does have a message, which is why I am not giving it just one out of ten. However, the message is conveyed in a fairly clumsy manner, borderline ridiculous.

Easy A (2010)

Not an ordinary teen chick flick

[9/10 · 2 February 2013]

The movie deals with the well-rehearsed topic of trying to fit in. Of course, the key message of the movie is that one's personal life is not supposed to be a competitive field. However, the way it deals with the key topic makes this film special.

I personally like that the lead character is someone that a lot of people can relate to, as opposed to being either a super-popular cheerleader or an ultra-dorky outsider.

The acting is good, although some characters are blown out of proportions. However, this is a usual flaw of teen movies and certainly not a major issue in this particular case.

The only downside, albeit slight, is that the movie does not really abound in comic scenes. This makes it somewhat forgettable, as a film either offers an intellectual challenge or stirs up emotions (sorrow or joy, either way) in order to be memorable. That is the sole reason why I give it a 9 as opposed to a clean 10.

The Notebook (2004)

Overly sentimental, but not boring

[4/10 · 28 January 2013]

Having seen the relatively high score by both the public at large and the critics, as far as a romance movie goes, I had had pretty high expectations. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. It is clear from the very beginning that the intention of the movie was to get viewers' eyes well up with tears in response to over-the-top sentimentality. At the end of the movie, I felt neither entertained nor in any way enlightened.

It seems that 'The Notebook' is trying to tell us that the true love happens only once in a lifetime and we can all guess what the rest of the message is. Granted, the love story is presented without too many clichés, in the very beginning at least.

In sum, if you are into overly sentimental romantic dramas, this is a movie for you. Otherwise, it's not terrible to watch, but far from great.

Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003)

A remake, but with some distinctive features

[8/10 · 27 January 2013]

'Love don't cost a thing' is a remake of 'Can't buy me love' (1987). Clearly, there are lots of similarities between the two and one might question the value of viewing the remake, having seen the original. However, there are two aspects of the remake that, in my opinion, are not as clearly emphasised in the original: father-son relationship and the importance of being open to unexpected, life-changing opportunities.

Alvin, the lead character, is a high-school student, exceptionally talented in mechanical engineering and extremely hard-working. The only thing that bothers him is that there is neither any partying nor dating in his life. His father acknowledges the issue and actively encourages Alvin to improve his work-life balance. Unfortunately, the dad's motives are not entirely based on what is good for his son. Rather, the father actually wants to become a more influential person in Alvin's life. In fact, the father goes so far that he even tries to distance Alvin from his "nerdy" friends, who might indeed be "nerdy", but are at least genuine friends. Eventually, the dad realises that he has been pushing Alvin along the road of self-destruction and rights his wrongs by providing the kind of help and support that Alvin really needs.

Paris is the lead female character, the most popular cheerleader, who used to date a guy who has become an NBA star. A life of luxury as a wife of a famous basketball player is what she thinks would be the best for her. It's not that Paris has no other interests, nor is that she is so hopelessly materialistic. Peer pressure and the acute lack of parental guidance and support have brought to where she is. However, the cracks are starting to open. First, Dru, the basketball start boyfriend, declares on TV that he is a "free agent" on the dating scene. Second, Paris gets the glimpse of how cruel her friends are when she witnesses how heartlessly they abuse the "nerds" who dare to walk or sit near them. Third, she damages her mother's SUV, driving it in direct contravention to her promise to stay clear of that car, as she is on her mother's car insurance.

Alvin sees that traffic accident as his opportunity to buy his way into the world of party-goers. He offers Paris to pay for the parts worth $1,500 and fix the car for free if she would pretend in public that they are dating. At first, she is outraged by the proposal, but due to the necessity to get the damage to the car fixed quickly, Alvin and Paris strike a deal that she would pretend to be his date for two weeks. During those two weeks, Paris introduces Alvin to her friends, helps him develop social skills and orchestrates his entire makeover. She also comes to realise that Alvin is the only person in her life who encourages her to pursue her real (music-related) interests, as opposed to settling for the status of the potential future wife of a cheating sports star. Moreover, Alvin impresses Paris with his exceptionally strong intellect, decency and sincerity. There is also that curious human tendency to get attached to the person whose life we are trying to change. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that Paris falls in love with Alvin by the end of the two-week arrangement.

As it is typical of romantic comedy plots, Alvin, otherwise being a very clever guy, fails to see this obvious development and also fails to grasp the real importance that Paris has in his life. He only values her contribution to his popularity. Therefore, he decides to cast her away at the end of the two-week contract. Furthermore, he rejects her when she tries to reconnect with him again. By doing so, Alvin not only alienates Paris, but he also puts his entire future in jeopardy. He is simply seduced by his ability to not only fit in but also to set the rules, evidenced by the crowd's adopting his ridiculous dancing style. Moreover, having abandoned Paris, Alvin develops a crass attitude, vulgar mannerism and egoism that far exceed anything displayed by the snobbish party-goers. He is now fully on the road to a complete self-destruction.

Fortunately for Alvin, Paris is the one who helps him return to the right track by publicly exposing their two-week deal and thereby ruining his ill-gotten popularity amongst the party-goers. That gives Alvin some space to reflect on how he has got his priorities completely wrong and through his subsequent actions and with a bit of encouragement and the necessary financial support provided by his father, everything falls in its place. Finally, with a bit of luck, he even gets an opportunity to impress Paris again, now with his bravery and selflessness, which prompts her to give him another chance. This time, he grabs the opportunity with both hands and there comes the happy ending.

Can't Buy Me Love (1987)

Standard romantic plot, but good insights

[9/10 · 22 January 2013]

The movie has a typical romantic plot within an American high-school setting, with lead characters being a nerd (Ronald) and the head cheerleader (Cindy). She and her friends would not even acknowledge him when passing by whereas he is desperately infatuated her. Ronald figures that he needs to become popular in order to be noticed by girls and offers Cindy a thousand dollars to pretend in public that they are going out, hoping that it would boost his popularity. She accepts the offer and throws in his makeover at no extra cost. The rest of the storyline is fairly predictable. However, there are two issues that this movie addresses probably more successfully than most of the other teen chick flicks: leadership and forgiveness.

The rest may contain some spoilers.

Ronald aspires not only to acceptance by his peers, but also to becoming their informal leader. The path that he initially takes in order to achieve that status is typical of a high-school environment, as he chooses exclusivity over social cohesion, egoism over altruism, herd mentality over individuality and conceit over humility. Eventually, he realises that sustainable informal leadership is based on selfless acts and promoting social inclusion.

Whilst at the peak of his ill-gotten popularity, Ronald does not forgive Cindy the fact that she used to ignore him when he was just one of the geeks. In fact, he cruelly rejects her even though she has developed warm feelings for him and has extended him support and trust that are well in excess of what is stipulated in their arrangement. However, once his popularity has vanished and he is left with no friends, he expects Cindy and his former best friend to immediately take him back and forgive all the gross insults he has inflicted upon them. Having failed that, Ronald finally realises that he needs to deserve to be forgiven.