'Booksmart' Review: 2019's Best Film
Funny, loveable and compelling, this coming-of-age, high school comedy exceeds expectations by proving itself as 2019's best movie
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'Booksmart' (CREDIT: Francois Duhamel / Annapurna Pictures)
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by Jack Linsdell
So, last weekend the American movie industry went wild when critics and analysts went up in arms over Booksmart nagging 'only' $8.7 million in it's debut weekend, despite having a wide release in 2,500 screens. And, judging by how busy the cinema was when I took the movie in today, but how empty the screen was, this trend of lower than expected box office numbers for this charming teen comedy may very well be replicated in the UK and across the world. I went to see this one because of all the critical "hype" surrounding it, and my curiosity paid off. This year, I've taken in some caulkers, but Booksmart has pipped every one of them to the top prize. So without further ado...
Making her directorial debut, Olivia Wilde's coming-of-age comedy Booksmart is one hell of a debut to make - to which she shares a large responsibility for. For starters, it's poignant, immensely relatable and funny screenplay penned by Emily Halpern & Sarah Haskins (whose original draft made the Hollywood blacklist of best unproduced scripts), with polishes from two outstanding female writers Susanna Fogel (the writer/director of The Spy Who Dumped Me) and Katie Silberman (Netflix's incredible Set It Up), gives us a fresh take on the high school, coming-of-age drama and instead of rewriting the formula, refreshes it.
We follow two teenage girls (Amy and Molly) on their last day of high school, who've worked themselves to death and done nothing but keep their heads engrossed in school work for five years to make sure they get the highest grades to qualify for the best colleges. However, upon realising that everyone else has qualified for the best schools, whilst partying hard and enjoying their lives, the two set out to break as many rules and attend as many parties as possible on their final night before graduating. Exploring the theme of acceptance and how everyone shouldn't be judged until we know the true person below the surface, this is a hopeful film for struggling teens and sceptical parents alike in showing us that in the end, everything will be all right.
I've always said (see my previous post on how coming-of-age dramas are the most relatable genre of movies out there) that coming-of-age comedy/dramas are always the best and most underrated/underseen movies in the marketplace every year, and Booksmart is no exception here. Oliva Wilde as previously mentioned knocks it out of the park. Her direction is outstanding, providing us with innovative and immersive scenes of filmmaking (like the scene when the two girls have been given drugs and admire themselves as two dolls - the animation in this scene is exceptional) and adds a "fresh" feel to the formula of a high school, teen comedy. Added to this, Wilde's framing often consists of two shots, showing us the togetherness of the two friends until the big (spoiler alert!) argument between Amy and Molly, which is one of the best filmed scenes I've viewed for a long time. As the two girls get embroiled in a conversation which soon becomes heated, we remain in one long continuous take as the camera gently moves to focus on each one's face as they talk and then slowly moving to the other's as they retaliate - and this allows us to see the people in the background starting to notice and record them. Truly, words do not do this justice, but it's such a brilliantly filmed scene that Wilde had no right to produce something of that quality in a debut feature. So, her direction really elevates this one beyond that sublime screenplay and Ms. Wilde is certainly one to follow over these next few years folks.
I can't fail to mention the performances of all the young cast, mainly women by the way (which is still a rare thing for these genre movies), but especially the two leading stars who really do carry the film and every time they're asked to perform, they give us way more than we deserve in a comedy. Kaitlyn Dever (Amy) and Beanie Feldstein (Molly) really knock us out of the park here, stealing every ounce of screen time they have, truly bringing these characters to life and helping to forge two of the most lovable, warm and humorous female protagonists in recent movie history. Also, they're chemistry is exceptional, providing us a lot of the comedy by how 'real' their long lasting friendship feels. We also have a sturdy supporting cast of young and upcoming actors who've all bright futures ahead of them, including Skyler Gisondo (from Netflix's amazingly funny Santa Clarita Diet) and Diana Silvers (soon to be seen in Octavia Spencer-led horror flick Ma). When a film has such lovable and relatable characters it's already on a good footing, and the variety of different 'stereotypes' played here do really emphasise how we should accept everyone. Indeed, Mr. Rogers had a great quote that said "we can learn to love anybody as long as we know their story", and Booksmart definitely champions this phrases.
The young and talented cast, debut director Oliva Wilde and the pioneering screenwriters all help make this 2019's best so far (even though I've seen some caulkers including Instant Family, Fighting With My Family and Rocketman amongst others), and to it's credit I need a second viewing because I was so busy laughing that you miss some of the depth and character development. Indeed, it was far funnier than I was expecting, and was a higher-quality made film with way more emotional depth than I thought which took me by surprise - in a good way. All involved deserve to win any award at next years ceremonies, but they won't because the Academy, BAFTA or whoever else never recognise the true talent that makes exceptional movies of the year, which is frustrating as hell and something that is a real injustice in the film industry. Added to this, this is another example where we all say we want a "female led coming-of-age comedy", but fail to show up at cinemas when it comes out. You cannot view Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel folks and say you've done your bit for supporting female inclusivity in movies. You need to see all these fantastic, smaller, high-quality and underseen films that come out (like The 5th Wave or The Girl in the Spider's Web which come to mind instantly) alongside the tentpole flicks. Vote with your wallet, not your hashtag people.
So, if there's one film you should check in the next week or so, it has to be Booksmart. Honestly folks, believe the hype around this one as this is one of the only films that I can honestly say lives up to the hype and internet coverage its been getting. It's smart, funny, heart-warming, sincere, thought-provoking and immensely entertaining - combing loveable characters, excellently staged comedic sequences with true-blue emotional moments in a scenario where a quality screenplay, outstanding director and sublime performance join forces to knock all our expectations out the park. As the title informs you; you should book your ticks to see a smart movie called Booksmart.
5/5 STARS
I can't fail to mention the performances of all the young cast, mainly women by the way (which is still a rare thing for these genre movies), but especially the two leading stars who really do carry the film and every time they're asked to perform, they give us way more than we deserve in a comedy. Kaitlyn Dever (Amy) and Beanie Feldstein (Molly) really knock us out of the park here, stealing every ounce of screen time they have, truly bringing these characters to life and helping to forge two of the most lovable, warm and humorous female protagonists in recent movie history. Also, they're chemistry is exceptional, providing us a lot of the comedy by how 'real' their long lasting friendship feels. We also have a sturdy supporting cast of young and upcoming actors who've all bright futures ahead of them, including Skyler Gisondo (from Netflix's amazingly funny Santa Clarita Diet) and Diana Silvers (soon to be seen in Octavia Spencer-led horror flick Ma). When a film has such lovable and relatable characters it's already on a good footing, and the variety of different 'stereotypes' played here do really emphasise how we should accept everyone. Indeed, Mr. Rogers had a great quote that said "we can learn to love anybody as long as we know their story", and Booksmart definitely champions this phrases.
The young and talented cast, debut director Oliva Wilde and the pioneering screenwriters all help make this 2019's best so far (even though I've seen some caulkers including Instant Family, Fighting With My Family and Rocketman amongst others), and to it's credit I need a second viewing because I was so busy laughing that you miss some of the depth and character development. Indeed, it was far funnier than I was expecting, and was a higher-quality made film with way more emotional depth than I thought which took me by surprise - in a good way. All involved deserve to win any award at next years ceremonies, but they won't because the Academy, BAFTA or whoever else never recognise the true talent that makes exceptional movies of the year, which is frustrating as hell and something that is a real injustice in the film industry. Added to this, this is another example where we all say we want a "female led coming-of-age comedy", but fail to show up at cinemas when it comes out. You cannot view Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel folks and say you've done your bit for supporting female inclusivity in movies. You need to see all these fantastic, smaller, high-quality and underseen films that come out (like The 5th Wave or The Girl in the Spider's Web which come to mind instantly) alongside the tentpole flicks. Vote with your wallet, not your hashtag people.
So, if there's one film you should check in the next week or so, it has to be Booksmart. Honestly folks, believe the hype around this one as this is one of the only films that I can honestly say lives up to the hype and internet coverage its been getting. It's smart, funny, heart-warming, sincere, thought-provoking and immensely entertaining - combing loveable characters, excellently staged comedic sequences with true-blue emotional moments in a scenario where a quality screenplay, outstanding director and sublime performance join forces to knock all our expectations out the park. As the title informs you; you should book your ticks to see a smart movie called Booksmart.
5/5 STARS
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