Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

BookSmart 

This is one of the best written and smartly done Teen/ coming of age films in a very long time. This film is such a breath of fresh air for the teen and high school genre as it takes the tropes of all the coming of age and high school comedies and just flips it on its head. This film is such a blast to be had with its incredible chemistry shared between its two leads. Then you have fantastic humour spread through the film with great heart at the centre of it. This film is a instant classic that you’ll want to see again and again. 

First off, This film shatters the high school stereotype’s associated in these coming of age and High school teen films. As they at first glance present them as stereotypes but as the story progresses you see many different layers and sides to these characters. Even to the point where they say they aren’t what people perceive them to be and it’s such an amazingly well thought out idea as every Teen film falls into that trope of stereotyping its characters. Now some use it for comedic effect like Mean Girls where that was used in an amazing effective way and then theirs time where it’s just a stereotype in a high school film just cause. This film really sets itself apart and really breaks those stereotypes and shows the great humanity in the characters throughout the film wrapped in amazing layers and depth that truly make them pop off the screen. And that’s also what’s a massive benefit to the film where the characters as so well fleshed out and are so relatable which will make it resonate with so many people. 

Secondly, It has such great layers of storytelling. Olivia Wilde and the writers were able to maneuver through this film in such a way that it doesn’t just tackle one specific thing it’s able to show amazing character moment and depth that really speaks volumes. As this film is a comedy but it also is has so much more to it as well. It’s able to wove themes of dramatic elements and also very real social things teenagers go through such as trying to figure out your sexuality and knowing how to flirt and friendship which  all of these are touched upon in such a realistic and grounded way that feels very real and relatable way and Olivia just is able to capture the high school experience so well and the many layers and highs and lows it has through such a great layered way that isn’t one sided film but a very multidimensional film. 

Lastly, BookSmart was able to interject a great new and smart take on the coming of age genre that is shown in such a hilariously entertaining way that shows so many aspects and sides of what High School and the whole experience is like. It’s acted greatly by its two leads and it’s fantastic supporting cast. BookSmart is a film that is an instant classic that will have you watching it over and over and is truly one of the years best films I recommend everyone go check out this film. 

This film revolves around two smart teenage girls who haven’t partied through all of high school but when they learn all the people who partied also got into great colleges they then realize they need to pack in all of the high school partying into one night so they can have the party experience that everyone had in one night before they graduate. 

Rated R : for strong sexual content and language throughout, drug use and drinking - all involving teens

Kaitlyn Dever : Kaitlyn gives one of the strongest performances I’ve seen in a coming of age film!  This is an actress who’s been popping up in the last few years with work in small indie films and here she really gives a fantastic breakout performance coming front and centre to showcase her incredible talent as the co lead to the film. She plays the character with such depth and fantastic emotion you can’t help but love what she’s bringing to the screen and her overall performance as she captures the many stages and phases a teenager goes through and how rough it is socially and emotionally and she’s able to bring that to the full front of her performance so incredibly well and make it seem so authentically genuine while also having a blast through every frame of this film. She has great comedic timing where she can be incredibly witty without forcing a joke it comes across more natural from her ability to know when the right moment was to lay a joke or deliver one and it always landed and her timing was just great on-top of the delivery as well. Then she has elements of dramatic weight too where she can really show some very emotionally bare and vulnerable moments where you can see her on the brink of tears fighting to hold it back and you just feel for her and she’s able to be so effective with it onscreen that it never comes across as over the top dramatic but dramatic enough that you feel for her and it seems genuine and she’s fantastic at being able to access so many sides of her character and her performance from that angle. As she never uses one tone more then the other their all very levelled as she can show the comedic wit and then have a dramatic punch moment and she’s able to just peel so many layers of this character back and really explore the environment of the character In such a fantastic and entertaining way. She truly fantastic range and great charisma and endless energy injected into each part of this film and you can’t help but love her performance as she to me was one of the best parts of the film and a performance that really spoke volumes and really grabbed my attention and amazed me by what she brings to this film for her performance and character she’s brilliant in this film what a outstanding performance.

Billie Lourd : Billie gives one of her most energetic and fun performances ever! Billie hasn’t been in much since her television show Scream Queens so it was great to see her in this film as she’s a very talented actress and is such fun to see her in films and television shows so it was a great fun seeing her here. She gives a incredibly hilarious Supporting performance in the film as this firecracker of a character that is very unpredictable and endless fun and Billie plays it so straight which is what makes it come across so hilarious. She isn’t in the film for a major part of the film but she was in it enough that she makes a everlasting impact on the film as when she’s onscreen you can’t help but smile and burst into laughter as her commitment to the character was fantastic as she has amazing cosmetic talent as she can say some of the most hilarious pieces of dialogue with such serious commitment and it’s hilariously presented onscreen due to jet incredible onscreen presence and incredible range she shows onscreen. She isn’t in it as much as I thought but for what she does have she makes the most of chewing up every scene she’s in with her fantastic supporting turn in this film. 

Olivia Wilde : Wilde gives an amazing directional debut! Wilde has shown strong work in front of the camera but this was her first ever time behind the camera and she brings strong direction to her first directed film. She was able to capture the sheer highs and lows and really the whole feeling of the high school experience in a very real and relatable way so brilliantly onscreen. She is able to create such a grounded and rooted environment where these characters really resonate with you and your able to follow them through this adventure that is hilarious but also teaches them lessons along the way that they carry with themselves. Olivia brings the great lengths of comedic effect but also the dramatic weight that perfectly balances out the comedy with both contributing amazing value to the film with incredible heart as well and it shows so well onscreen. She has an amazing cast all whom contribute amazing performances across the board. Olivia really does a outstanding job not only as her directional debut but just as a whole she gives a well rounded film that honestly is the best coming of age films with the comedy of mean girls and the heart of the perks of being a wallflower. Overall Olivia gives amazing direction and really gives the genre a breath of fresh air I can’t wait to see what she does next as she’s given amazing direction here.