If taken as just the first half, this film is exceptionally convincing and sums up a lot about teen culture these days, the pressure kids feel and the emphasis placed on sexual experiences. Through only a handful of clips, all shot by our protagonist Chelsea herself, we see her habits and her downfalls, and learn a little about why she's doing this, even begin to empathise with this misguided teenager. By the end of the "documentary" half, the last words that crop up on screen provide little comfort for the devastating events that precede them.
However...
As soon as the "narrative" side kicks in, it becomes clear that this is just a film - the whole story is told again, this time presented as a hard-hitting drama. The lead actress reprises her role, but the narrative is played out with such uncharacteristic woodenness and forced scripting that it's difficult to believe this is the same story and, as a result, everything that Campos had achieved in the first half becomes a faded memory. Rather than show off his versatility as a director, he instead proves to us that he's far more suited to one style than the other in what constitutes an exercise rather than a feature. In other words, don't expect anything complete.
I gave this a four out of ten simply because it is a very uneven piece. The first half is very promising, but too short to make its impact; the second half removes all pathos in favour of forgettable scripting.
However...
As soon as the "narrative" side kicks in, it becomes clear that this is just a film - the whole story is told again, this time presented as a hard-hitting drama. The lead actress reprises her role, but the narrative is played out with such uncharacteristic woodenness and forced scripting that it's difficult to believe this is the same story and, as a result, everything that Campos had achieved in the first half becomes a faded memory. Rather than show off his versatility as a director, he instead proves to us that he's far more suited to one style than the other in what constitutes an exercise rather than a feature. In other words, don't expect anything complete.
I gave this a four out of ten simply because it is a very uneven piece. The first half is very promising, but too short to make its impact; the second half removes all pathos in favour of forgettable scripting.