Girls Against Boys
(2012)
Floren Shieh Productions : Anchor Bay Films / Anchor Bay Entertainment
6.75 / 10
This little independent movie has a lot going for it. A believable story line with realistic characters and situations, a strong and truthful story that is directed with care.
Danielle Panabaker does a spectacular job of creating a very believable victim of rape, Shae, who, with her new friend and work colleague Lulu, subtly portrayed by Nicole LaLiberte, take fatal action on her attackers.
Yes, this has been done numerous times, the last big budget version being The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster. Though what this story gives you is the more nitty-gritty feel of real life. Shae is an ordinary woman trying to make her way through life, she attends college and works a bar part-time. There's a wonderful scene where she asks a colleague to take over for her and she walks away to catch five minutes as she's having a bad day. Panabaker's walk behind the bar and in front of the bar speaks volumes of Shae's tiredness, dejectedness, and all over weariness of her life at this point. Nicely acted and well directed.
While in the stairway she meets Lulu and they strike up a conversation. When Lulu hears about Shae's day she decides to take her to a nightclub to take her mind off things. At the end of the night, they go back to an apartment shared by a couple of men they met at the club. Shae, worn out, chooses to go home. Tyler, who paired off with Shea offers to be a gentleman and escort her home. However, he doesn't take being rejected at the door to her apartment building and resolves to get what he think he deserves.
What I like about this film is the lack of graphic violence, most of the time the director Austin Chick, who also wrote the story, chooses to cut away. This allows the viewer imagination to take over because we're not stupid we know what's going on, there's no need to depict it.
From here on Lulu takes over and becomes the dominant character in the newly formed duo. She takes Shae to the police to report the crime, though they find them indifferent and unconcerned about the crime or the victim. It's Lulu who decides on the course of action to take and she's the one to start the ball rolling. Shae, still traumatised by the incident wonders around in a fugue most of the time. It's Shae's state of shock which makes this a more plausible tale of revenge.
The resulting conclusion is pretty inevitable.
This is a slow, well thought out psychological thriller, which gives a breath of fresh air to a much-used storyline.
This isn't a pleasant film to watch. You don't really root for the victim to have her revenge, as the story isn't just about Shae's rape and her resolution, but of her relationship with Lulu, who is broken in her own way. This is a film that is made to make you think.
Well worth a watch once, though I don't think I'll ever go back to it, as it will stay with me for quite a while.
Danielle Panabaker does a spectacular job of creating a very believable victim of rape, Shae, who, with her new friend and work colleague Lulu, subtly portrayed by Nicole LaLiberte, take fatal action on her attackers.
Yes, this has been done numerous times, the last big budget version being The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster. Though what this story gives you is the more nitty-gritty feel of real life. Shae is an ordinary woman trying to make her way through life, she attends college and works a bar part-time. There's a wonderful scene where she asks a colleague to take over for her and she walks away to catch five minutes as she's having a bad day. Panabaker's walk behind the bar and in front of the bar speaks volumes of Shae's tiredness, dejectedness, and all over weariness of her life at this point. Nicely acted and well directed.
While in the stairway she meets Lulu and they strike up a conversation. When Lulu hears about Shae's day she decides to take her to a nightclub to take her mind off things. At the end of the night, they go back to an apartment shared by a couple of men they met at the club. Shae, worn out, chooses to go home. Tyler, who paired off with Shea offers to be a gentleman and escort her home. However, he doesn't take being rejected at the door to her apartment building and resolves to get what he think he deserves.
What I like about this film is the lack of graphic violence, most of the time the director Austin Chick, who also wrote the story, chooses to cut away. This allows the viewer imagination to take over because we're not stupid we know what's going on, there's no need to depict it.
From here on Lulu takes over and becomes the dominant character in the newly formed duo. She takes Shae to the police to report the crime, though they find them indifferent and unconcerned about the crime or the victim. It's Lulu who decides on the course of action to take and she's the one to start the ball rolling. Shae, still traumatised by the incident wonders around in a fugue most of the time. It's Shae's state of shock which makes this a more plausible tale of revenge.
The resulting conclusion is pretty inevitable.
This is a slow, well thought out psychological thriller, which gives a breath of fresh air to a much-used storyline.
This isn't a pleasant film to watch. You don't really root for the victim to have her revenge, as the story isn't just about Shae's rape and her resolution, but of her relationship with Lulu, who is broken in her own way. This is a film that is made to make you think.
Well worth a watch once, though I don't think I'll ever go back to it, as it will stay with me for quite a while.
No comments:
Post a Comment