|
| Movie Review: The Exploding Girl Alternate Title: Pure Drivel
Story: I gave my Wednesday movie
buddy, Sunjit, five movie choices for the day. He selected The Exploding
Girl. Perhaps we were both seduced by the title word, 'Exploding.'
Suffice it to say, that the only things exploding were both our tempers
as we railed loudly about this celluloid piece of drivel.
Written and directed by Bradley Rust
Gray, we are introduced to Ivy who has come home (to what looks
to me like somewhere in Brooklyn - perhaps Fort Greene) for summer break
from college. Ivy's childhood friend Al has also come home for summer
break only to discover that his parents have rented out his room - so
he ends up at Ivy's home. Side note: your parents renting out your room
was always one of those jokes bandied about - but did it ever really
happen? Back to the movie.
After only 20 minutes I turned to my movie buddy
and said 'I hate this film.' He said he needed toothpicks to keep his
eyes open.
Nothing happens in this film. We watch Ivy laying
in her bed, staring at nothing and making phone calls to her college
boyfriend who is clearly going to break up with here. We watch friend
Al, whine about his non-relationships with girls. Most of the dialogue
surrounds somebody asking somebody else 'Are you okay?' 'Are you sure?'
Well, no one asks if we in the audience are okay. I can readily tell
you - we were not okay.
Ivy is directionless and purposeless and so was this film. Aurgh. Next
week I am not allowing Sunjit to pick our film.
Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON3cmZ8pLvc Acting: Zoe Kazan as Ivy was boring. Mark Rendall
as Al was annoying.
Trivia: Zoe Kazan a Los Angeles native and received
her BA in Theater from Yale University. In the fall of 2006, she played
"Sandy" opposite Cynthia Nixon in The New Group's production
of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie." She is the Granddaughter
of controversial film director Elia Kazan.
Predilection: None
Critters: A dog and lots of homing pigeons. There
was a scene that featured two pigeon chicks. I have never seen a pigeon
chick.
Food: Vegetable soup, pasta.
Sex Spectrum: None
Soundtrack: Don't remember hearing music above the
whining.
Opening Titles: Titles superimposed over the scene
where Ivy is being driven back from college.
Theater Audience: Eight other dazed and confused
audience members.
Weather: It looks like a not summer.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: I was adrift much of the time.
Predictability Level: We did not care what was going
to happen to any of the characters and at certain points were wishing
them some harm.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: Neither
Length: 88 long minutes.
LOBO HOWLS: 2 (one for each pigeon chick).
|