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Reviews
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
A bit disturbing, but mostly honest
To begin, I don't much like movies that show someone under the age of legal consent having sex with a much older partner, HOWEVER...I acknowledge that it happens, and that many times, the age of legal consent is just a number, as there are 12 year olds that have the maturity of a 20 year old, and vice versa.
The first misconception that I would like to clear up is that somehow Monroe acted in a predatory way, forcing himself on Minnie. His behavior, albeit somewhat creepy, was not predatory. Au contraire, Minnie was a willing and complicit partner and certainly seemed to have the mental capacity to make the decision. In fact, while Minnie's 15- year old hormones raged wildly out of control, Monroe often seemed the reluctant lover who felt overwhelmed by her overwhelming "need". Of course, as Minnie discovers, her "need" is not for sex; it is for intimacy. And Monroe cannot provide her with that--perhaps because he is at a different age and level, but more likely because he himself is emotionally immature.
The poor girl! She is surrounded by emotionally immature adults. Her relationship with her mother is colored by her mother's relationships with many different men. Minnie is constantly adjusting her life to her mother's needs, as opposed to the mother meeting the needs of the child. One of the most touching scenes is when Minnie and her mother are in the kitchen eating lunch--and her mother tells her how in love she was with Minnie's father. The audience sees Minnie glow as her mother tells her this-- finally! Minnie realizes that there was a real emotional connection between her mother and father--and it is comforting to her. Maybe her father wasn't like all the other men (and people) that float ephemerally through her mother's bohemian life.
This movie takes us through Minnie's journey of self-realization that sex and intimacy are two very different things--perhaps a journey that all teenagers take at some point.
The movie fails when the mother discovers the affair between Monroe and Minnie. Yes, she would be angry--at her daughter, and at Monroe. But would she get drunk with Monroe, and then summon her daughter to the bar to tell her that Monroe must marry Minnie? Even making the excuse that she and Monroe are drunk, it seems a bit more hare-brained than she is typically depicted in the movie. Also, why wouldn't she immediately tell Monroe that it is statutory rape, and at least threaten him with going to the authorities? It's doubtful that she would follow through, but at least threaten him. After all, she is not such a terrible mom that her children have been taken away from her. Also, the ending where Minnie bumps into Monroe at the beach while she is selling her artwork with her sister...it is a bit contrived. It is an ending that lets us know that Minnie has moved forward emotionally, while Monroe is stagnating. And miraculously, the acceptance back into the family by her mother and sister after her runaway attempt has given her the confidence to sell her artwork at the beach. News flash--she was accepted by her mother and sister prior to the runaway attempt, and she has always been a talented artist! But the writer and/or director wanted to put a neat little bow on it for the end. I give it a 6/10 for being thought provoking, for great acting, for an authentic evocation of the '70s, and an awesome soundtrack (yeah, Iggy Pop and the Stooges!). Downgraded for the pat ending, and the unevenly written character of the mother, who mainly comes off as a stereotype of a single, '70s mom who has a man addiction.
So Undercover (2012)
miley--so undercover!
So, Three Word Reviewer says my summary says it all! Miley, who is so out there, and so in front of all of us, like way more than what we want (tmi, Miley) is undercover! As a sorority girl, no less! Has Miley even gone to college? Does she need to? First, we're asked to believe that Miley is a private eye--more or less, someone that snaps pix of cheating couples, all in support of poor old dad, who is a boozing, gambling shell of himself since he got kicked off the police force. He's trying to get back in somehow, by being a bottom feeder private eye. Then, we're asked to believe that the FBI has seen her stellar work as a teen photog in truck stop diners, and they desperately need her to infiltrate a sorority house to help some sorority chick whose daddy is a mob boss. They're willing to pay her big bucks, which of course she has to take because old boozing daddy just lost a bucket at the racetrack. THEN, we're asked to believe that after oh what, ten minutes, no, I'll be generous, a half day of FBI training, tough-talking, motorcycle-riding Miley is ready to be a sorority girl. This is of course, a transformation, a la Eliza Doolittle, because we all know sorority girls are all the same, and they all talk, like, so unbelievably real. And they're all bitches...and dumb...and vain. (But secretly majoring in chemistry). So yeah, the story makes no sense, and it's not supposed to.
It's your fault-you chose to see this movie, knowing that Miley Cyrus is a private eye that becomes an FBI agent, posing as a sorority girl. And yeah, you'd have a right to be mad if you walked into this movie not knowing that. But odds are, you knew that walking in. And so, since you knew that...guess what?? It's not that bad! She's likable...yes, I said it. And she's a better actress than Britney or Mariah. The movie is fun. You can't be mad, because it's not a serious movie. Yes, you can be mad when you are ready for a serious movie, and there are plot holes galore. But this is not a serious movie, nor does it pretend to be. So, sit back, be entertained, and don't worry about the plot holes-worry about plot holes for a serious movie. It plays, don't think about it, watch it when you're hungover and need mindless entertainment. Because that is how it works. And the Miley in this movie is the Miley we want to know...it's not a star vehicle, she doesn't sing, and she really doesn't overact. Honestly, I can see a future for the girl if she ever wants to bust out some serious acting chops.