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DVD Very Good Girls
 Run time: 91 min Rating: 6.2 Genres: Drama Director: Naomi Foner Writers: Naomi Foner Stars: Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen, Demi Moore |
| Storyline Two New York City girls make a pact to lose their virginity during their first summer out of high school. When they both fall for the same street artist, the friends find their connection tested for the first time. |
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| Details: Country: USA Release Date: 24 June 2014 (USA) |
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DVD Very Good Girls
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4 comments
Just watched it today, and It was a nice film that involved great acting. It could've been a lot better, but I just watched it because of Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen. They are a young and talented. I've seen many films that do the "let's lose our virginity" topic. Those others films were kinda comedic in a way but this one is kind of realistic and you feel as if a person would actually do something for their own benefit. That's the real world, trust is very hard to find and the purpose of this movie is to show young teens that losing your virginity just to get over with it might not turn out the way you want it to. It's better to have patience and wait for the right person instead of grabbing anyone nearby . Clark gregg was in the movie playing a doctor and father of Dakota F. character. She see's something she shouldn't have and she also has a broken relationship with her parents. Overall this movie is good but had potential to be great so give it a go. 🙂
Between Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen, it is hard to argue that there isn't some sort of draw to this movie. After all, they are playing two best friends in New York having their last summer together before college. Which in itself is a nice coming of age story. But then with the added mix of them trying to lose their virginity, it does make you wonder if this film is going to end up insightful or relatable, or if perhaps that angle will solely be used to get boys interested in the film.
Characters & Story
In the suburbs of New York City you'll find two best friends: the adventurous Gerry (Elizabeth Olsen), and her more timid friend Lily (Dakota Fanning). They have been friends for quite a while and have a strong bond, but with college around the corner, and Lily leaving for Yale, they try to make this summer one to remember. How you may ask? Well, with it being the summer they both lose their virginity.
Enter David (Boyd Holbrook). A boy who Gerry is head over heels for on first sight but, unfortunately for her, his focus is on Lily. Leading to the question: can one boy, a complete stranger, possibly ruin a multi- year friendship just because he is hot, mysterious, and willing to be in the company of both of them?
Praise
In the summer time a lot of coming of age films are released, and perhaps what makes this one a tad different is that the focus is on two girls trying to grow up and become their sense of what mature is. This is opposed to the usually coming of age films about boys, much less awkward boys, who find some girl, who is usually out of their league, and he finds a way to win her over with his charm. With this film though, the girls are given not just the focus, but aspirations for once. Gerry wants to be a musician, and while I didn't catch what Lily wanted to do at Yale, at the very least we learned she wanted to do more than lose her virginity over the summer.
And when it comes to the story as a whole, I felt that it made for something entertaining to watch. Both Fanning and Olsen make appealing leads, and you can understand their lust for Holbrook who makes a good "I'm troubled and mysterious" love interest. Plus, I must say I did like the side stories dealing with both Lily and Gerry's families. They were good enough to provide us with insight to understand why Lily and Gerry were the way they are without the parent's drama starting to compete with the main story.
Criticism
I will say though, I hate the fact there was a love triangle in the film. Also, I wasn't a fan of director/ writer Naomi Foner romanticizing David's stalking into a cute love story. I mean, think of how off putting it would be if some guy tries to get your attention by pasting photos of you walking away from him around a neighborhood, and then not even asking for your phone number, but instead your address. Then, to make matters stranger, you can see Lily/ Fanning is uncomfortable with this dude and yet gives him a chance. Something which, to me anyway, may send the wrong message since usually a girl's intuition when it comes to a guy making her uncomfortable is right.
Overall: TV Viewing
If you don't over analyze the film, you'll likely love it. It has the general feel of most coming of age films, with a nice twist with having female leads. However, I do feel slightly that even with the gender switch when it comes to who is the lead, it has the same problem most coming of age films have. The girl, or rather girls, are a bit too dependent on the guy when it comes to them evolving. Which, in all honesty, I don't think neither Gerry nor Lily do in the film, evolve that is. If anything, they both fawn over David, as he seemingly plays with both, leading to the girls fighting and then making up. Which I realize is a major spoiler, but at the same time it is a story done so much that even considering that a spoiler would mean you haven't seen a coming of age film, much less a romance film, ever.
I was expecting much more from this than I got when I finished watching it.
Being a long time fan of Dakota Fanning, as I suspect her performances are far above the average from girls her age and especially from her era, I was very excited to see her in a more 'mature' type of movie.
Well, I can't really say I was disappointed with the acting from the cast. I guess even that guy who played the street artist was o.k. but I was not satisfied with the development of the film. The movie was slow and then when it was almost finishing they threw it all at once and maybe it was a ~surprising~ ending once I wasn't expecting it but I was not pleased as I thought it rather silly, to be quite honest.
They were dealing with an adult theme at first which requires an adult reaction from all of the circumstances dealt in the movie and then at the very ending of it they just decided to wrap it all up with a rather silly reaction from the characters so us 'the public/audience' would be happy and content. Just typically clichè Hollywood ending while I would have preferred a million times a more realistic type of closing I guess.
And I just say so because this looks to me as an Indie film in which we generally get a more human response to human emotions played on screen (as well as in foreign films).
Of course, I know the old saying 'you can't always get what you want' but I think it's unfair to the public if they promote the movie a certain way and the final result is completely different from that. I mean that even in what concerns the trailer, the poster, every single advertising thing they do. It just has to be fair to their final public otherwise you can't even trust the filmmakers anymore because they are obviously just thinking about an easy way to cash in at your expenses.
I can't really give you more details because I'd have to tell you how it ends but watch it if you really feel like, it's NOT a complete waste of time because as I've said the characters are well portrayed by the whole cast and I can positively say now that I'll keep looking for more Dakota Fanning and Liz Olsen works in the future, they are far above the average and always deserving a much larger recognition for their roles in almost everything they do. 6/10
Very Good Girls is a coming of age story that touches on friendship, family, love and discovering when it's okay to indulge in yourself. Nothing new there, amIright? The mood is set fairly early on, kicking off the 'best friends forever' feel.
Elizabeth Olsen and Dakota Fanning have great chemistry, and there is nothing stopping you from believing that they truly are best friends, which really plays into the story when you witness a 'betrayal' of some kind. Although you fall in love with the sweetness of the romance that blossoms you cannot help but 'tisk, tisk' at the surreptitious actions of this 'friend.'
The movie keeps your attention all throughout it although you're not sure what you want to come of the story. The build up to the ending is perfectly paced and the performances are spectacular. Dakota Fanning delivers yet again and Elizabeth Olsen is letting it known that she is an actress to reckon with. 7.4/10