simply - wow. first off, i couldn't decide if i should watch it at 1:30 am, after coming home from work (i usually doze off after 30 minutes of tv) or wait till the morning to be able to sit through it with a fresh mind. i decided to watch it at 1:30. and i was not disappointed. i did not even start to doze off one single time.
everyone knows the story so i won't get into the details but it's about one teenage girl (duh, "thirteen") and her trials and tribulations over a short period of her life.
the script was writing by first-time director/screenwriter Catherine Hardwicke and then 13-year-old actress Nikki Reed. there's nothing really shocking or original about the story (drugs, sex, etc etc) but it's the reality of the situations and how they handle the characters so truthfully that's refreshing and amazingly vivid.
trust me, this is not your afterschool special about teenage angst or drug use (and it's not the debauched nature of Kids either). it's not a grown-up's version of what it is to be a teenager. you just know a real teenager was part of the process of single step of the way, and that it was not hollywood-ized, not a single frame.
and it's a spectacular debut for Catherine Hardwicke. i was blown away by the level of confidence this director had.
i cannot see why Evan Rachel Wood was not nominated for her performance in this film if they nominated Holly Hunter (who does a great job, but it's nothing compared to what the teenage actress had to do). the performances in this film are surprisingly real and seem effortless. Jeremy Sisto, who i like but always takes on the same kind of roles, also gives us a great character.
i don't wanna overhype it because that always kills any film, and i sure as hell was expecting to be underwhelmed by this film but i simply cannot recommend this film enough.
Posted by Anonymous | 12:02 PM
