Another microscopic indie this time, about a pair of high school virgins who form a connection one night, and contemplate, you guessed it, “the first time.” What makes this film unique is that it’s not just a raunchy sex comedy, but tries to form an honest conversation between the two leads. It feels realistic enough, and I have to admit that I had a better time with this movie than I was expecting.
What Works: The entire idea of doing a “Before Sunrise” type movie with two high school characters is just different enough to be intriguing. I started out thinking this movie was slightly generic and Disney-ish (fair criticisms if someone else were to make them), but it’s actually not. It hides its deeper layers in an aesthetically pleasing surface (both of the lead actors could easily star in a CW show) but it actually does have things to say about young love, young romances, and, of course, young sex. Watching these characters navigate feelings they think they’re smarter than made me smile when they fell into them anyway. The best thing about the movie is how self-aware the two leads are…they know all the pitfalls and downsides of what they’re dealing with (she has an older college boyfriend, and he has a girl-friend he loves but who doesn’t see him romantically), but gradually talk their way into a real connection with each other…even as their hesitancy keeps pushing them out of it.
What Doesn’t Work: The movie could have been better if it weren’t for the studio flourishes that kept dominating the surface: the pretentious college boyfriend, the jokester male sidekick who keeps giving advice he’s not exactly qualified to dish out, and the fact that the male lead probably couldn’t handle weightier material. That’s fine, because all he really needs to do in this movie is act sweet and likable, and I was rooting for him by the end of it.
What I Would Have Done Differently: The movie might have had more immediacy if they’d stuck to exploring one night, instead of dragging the romance out for a few days. The entire idea of a “Before Sunrise”-type movie for high school kids only works if they really do stick to one night.