Adam Says Hats Off:
Saw Eighth Grade: Not Another Tween Movie
Rating as follows:
Total: 8.2/10
Cinematography (1.7): 1.2
Overall Acting (1.6): 1.3
Writing (1.5): 1.4
Cohesion of Story (1.2): 1.0
Score/Sound Mixing (1.1): 0.8
Best Category – Writing (1.0): 0.9
Depth of Plot (1.0): 0.9
Character Development (0.5): 0.4
Overall Message (0.4): 0.3
In Bo Burnham’s directorial debut, I was curious how his funny-man style would translate into a more serious and deep story. This movie did not disappoint. While it was mainly focused on middle school life from a tween-aged girls perspective, there were definitely a lot of moments that the entire audience could identify with. It was a little slow at times, but that didn’t take away from my overall satisfaction with it. Elsie Fisher did an excellent job in her portrayal of the main character, which just adds to the growing list of exceptional young talent in Hollywood. I don’t think this movie is quite for everyone, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you have a free night and feel like turning the clock back for an hour and half!
#AwkNelson #SupportKayTeens #BurnhamNotice #BostonTeenParty
Kelvin Says Hats Off:
Recently saw “Eighth Grade” – Girlhood. Conclusion: 7/10. Universally relatable, but still keen to a specific moment in time, Eighth Grade hits several of its notes on the difficulty of someone finding her own voice. Elsie Fisher, in a mature but vulnerable performance, plays Kayla, a girl who is, you guessed it, in eighth grade. We see early on that she likes to make her own YouTube videos on pretty standard adolescent issues; self-confidence, being yourself, etc…. It’s a clever device the film uses to get inside Kayla’s head and show how disparate her actual actions are from what she wants them to be. Playing her father, Josh Hamilton bears a softer but loving presence in Kayla’s life. The dynamic between them is perhaps a bit more one-note at first, but it develops into something rather rewarding as things progress. Some of the poignancy I didn’t find to be as strong as the movie wanted it to be, but there’s still plenty of affecting and empathetic moments to go around. It hits on a very particular time in one’s life, but Kayla’s growth is something that feels a bit more transcendent. #TeenageScream #GradeExpectations #WalkingAroundLikeTheyreInAnEnyaVideo #ByeSchool #EveryDissBeginsWithKay
