'Booksmart' Review

Synopsis: On the eve of their high school graduation, two academic superstars realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night.

Runtime: 102 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for strong sexual content, language throughout, drug use, and drinking - all involving teens)

Who should see it? Adult fans of coming-of-age comedies.

Booksmart is a female-centric feature directorial debut from actress Olivia Wilde featuring a sidesplitting screenplay by Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, and Katie Silberman. Lately, critics and cinephiles have annually endorsed cinematic coming-of-age stories. A welcome phenomenon since Booksmart follows in the steps of The Edge of Seventeen, Lady Bird, and Eighth Grade as another evocative and empowering narrative worth championing. 

For her first feature, Olivia Wilde's outdone herself. With fifty-five total acting credits to her name, Wilde's distinguished career undoubtedly provided her ensemble with an abundance of invaluable insight which shines through their first-rate performances. Booksmart is a delightful debut all-around on behalf of the cast, script, and Wilde's handling of the material considering this is an instance where execution elevates the text. In particular, Jason McCormick's eye-catching cinematography and well-placed edits from Jamie Gross bestow an exquisite aesthetic and keep things moving at an appropriate pace. The camerawork is also worth applauding for an inspired approach.

I hesitate in succumbing to the group-think that Booksmart is a teen comedy classic due to its recency and some nitpicks, but Booksmart may charm me into obliging after the fact. In the two days since seeing Booksmart, I already appreciate it more. As for minuscule grievances, I have a few. The opening didn't captivate me right away but served as a fitting foundation for the crazed antics ahead. Occasionally, the onscreen scenarios are also a little too outlandish or exaggerated, which undercut the film's realism. However, Booksmart retains a beating heart in its sincere approach. 

As Amy and Molly, Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein exhibit an authentically odd friendship with one-of-a-kind chemistry. Juxtaposed with Feldstein's boisterous screen presence, Dever internalizes Amy's struggle with an apprehensive, shy characterization. The two are polar opposites yet operate on the same wavelength of weirdness, so they click. Their dynamic is central to the entire enterprise and notably tugged at my heartstrings in choice moments.

Surrounding Dever and Feldstein is an ensemble whom you'd expect to portray a collection of high school clichés at first glance. Don't judge a book by its cover though, as the script and actors lend more nuance to these archetypal roles than you'd expect. Billie Lourd, daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, is a notable scene stealer and plays Amy and Molly's peculiar peer Gigi with a hysterical, over-the-top eccentricity. Meanwhile, Victoria Ruesga, Mason Gooding, Skyler Gisondo, Diana Silvers, Molly Gordon, and Eduardo Franco fill out the cast of classmates while more familiar faces Jason Sudeikis, Jessica Williams, Lisa Kudrow, and Will Forte depict a series of parental figures to great comic effect.

In an ever-increasing field of charming coming-of-age flicks, Booksmart is a hilarious, heartfelt addition that sets itself apart due to captivating direction, a sharp script, and the delightful dynamic between Dever and Feldstein. Not only is it an impressive directorial debut, but Booksmart is a must-see feature and one of the year's very best films!

Film Assessment: A-

'Lady Bird' Review

[This review was originally written in November 2017 and is now being published that my internship is over. For an explanation of this, visit my Fall 2017 Important Update post.] 

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Greta Gerwig, Best Actress; Saoirse Ronan, Best Supporting Actress; Laurie Metcalf, and Best Original Screenplay.

Lady Bird flies alongside Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson, a rebellious and strong-willed teenage girl intent on defying her mother at nearly every turn in her senior year of high school in Sacramento, California. The film then encompasses her experience balancing school work, her debut in the realm of musical theater, friendships, romantic relationships, and a turbulent family life while doing her darnedest to get accepted in any prestigious East Coast university.

Lady Bird is a comedic coming of age story written and directed by Greta Gerwig, functioning as Gerwig's solo directorial debut, which will surprise most considering that Gerwig seems to have a firm handle on things for her first solo outing. Some have said that Gerwig may have loosely based the events around her own teenage years, but regardless of whether the film is based on actual events or not, everything in Lady Bird is fully fleshed out and realized to the point where I thought this must have been based on real life events because the film felt so genuine. 

One of the best things about Lady Bird though is how the film offers a fresh perspective on a seemingly typical coming of age narrative. Gerwig doesn't simply focus on one element of Lady Bird's life, but rather soaks it all in. I'd liken Lady Bird to last year's The Edge of Seventeen, but the films are radically different from one another in spite of their similar approaches of peeking into a teenage girl's day-to-day life. Like this year's other stand-out comedy, The Big Sick, Lady Bird also doesn't bother to fabricate events for the sake of a laugh, but the silly situations and priceless dialogue rather feel like things these characters would do or say in real life. This only makes the events funnier as comedies often try so hard to sell a gag that they lose sight of the likelihood it could or would ordinarily happen on its own. 

At its core, Lady Bird is all about a rocky mother-daughter relationship, and it's thanks to actresses Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf that their mother-daughter dynamic comes across as both endearing and strained. Ronan really digs into the role, as Lady Bird is easily one of her quirkiest characters to date, while Metcalf realistically portrays the complexities of an over-worked mother who aims to keep her daughter in check. Metcalf excels at ensuring Marion comes across as a harsh, but loving mother, so the pathos is present and believe me, you'll be on the verge of tears (if not actually crying for whatever reason) towards the film's conclusion.

Filling out the remaining supporting characters are various actors you may recognize including the beaming Beanie Feldstein, Manchester By The Sea's subdued star Lucas Hedges, the apathetically-driven Odeya Rush, Call Me By Your Name's breakout actor Timothée Chalamet, and Tracy Letts as Lady Bird's best friend Julie, Lady Bird's first boyfriend Danny, the popular girl Jenna, the cool Kyle, and Lady Bird's lovable father Larry. Each actor delivers a performance differentiated from their prior work, so there are ample opportunities for their characters to shine.

Lady Bird is simply one of those captivating coming of age stories that don't come around too often. Lady Bird doesn't just fly away as one of the year's funniest comedies. It also soars as one of the year's best films on account of its accomplished direction, sharp script, and committed cast. 

Film Assessment: A