"Booksmart" Review
(9.5/10)
Olivia Wilde nails her directorial debut by putting a fun, fresh and female spin on the high school coming of age story with a hilarious script and fantastic performances from the leads. The high school coming-of-age comedy is a subgenre unto itself, with each decade delivering movies that have become classics, like American Graffiti, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Can't Hardly Wait, Superbad, Easy A and more recent films such as The Edge of Seventeen and Lady Bird. Now comes Olivia Wilde's directorial debut, Booksmart, which follows two straight-laced students who decide to get in all the partying they missed throughout high school on the night before their graduation. Booksmart is an authentic story about two young women, starring young women, told by women. That authenticity shines especially in the script for Booksmart, which is sharp and funny, nailing the characters of Molly and Amy while effectively developing their friendship as the emotional core of the movie. Booksmart manages to deftly balance the more over-the-top - and, at times, unbelievable - comedic moments with genuinely touching dramatic beats. Altogether, Wilde and the screenwriters Halpern, Haskins, Fogel and Silberman collaborate to bring something new to the high school dramedy genre. In front of the camera, Feldstein and Dever are easy to love as Molly and Amy, respectively. The success of Booksmart rests on their shoulders and both actresses prove adept at carrying their leading roles well, bringing empathy and humor to their characters. Though Molly comes off as a caricature of a dedicated student at times, Feldstein's performance adds much needed depth to the character, especially in the second half of the film. But throughout the entire movie, Feldstein and Dever have a charming chemistry as friends that shines in Booksmart. In a genre as crowded as the high school coming-of-age comedy, it's tough for new movies to stand out and offer a fresh perspective on this particular time in a young person's life, but Booksmart does just that. Booksmart is worth a watch for anyone interested in coming-of-age high school comedies. Even viewers who are far removed from their own high school days will find something to relate to in the hijinks of Molly, Amy and their classmates (or, at the very least, in the adults who populate their world).
Olivia Wilde nails her directorial debut by putting a fun, fresh and female spin on the high school coming of age story with a hilarious script and fantastic performances from the leads. The high school coming-of-age comedy is a subgenre unto itself, with each decade delivering movies that have become classics, like American Graffiti, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Can't Hardly Wait, Superbad, Easy A and more recent films such as The Edge of Seventeen and Lady Bird. Now comes Olivia Wilde's directorial debut, Booksmart, which follows two straight-laced students who decide to get in all the partying they missed throughout high school on the night before their graduation. Booksmart is an authentic story about two young women, starring young women, told by women. That authenticity shines especially in the script for Booksmart, which is sharp and funny, nailing the characters of Molly and Amy while effectively developing their friendship as the emotional core of the movie. Booksmart manages to deftly balance the more over-the-top - and, at times, unbelievable - comedic moments with genuinely touching dramatic beats. Altogether, Wilde and the screenwriters Halpern, Haskins, Fogel and Silberman collaborate to bring something new to the high school dramedy genre. In front of the camera, Feldstein and Dever are easy to love as Molly and Amy, respectively. The success of Booksmart rests on their shoulders and both actresses prove adept at carrying their leading roles well, bringing empathy and humor to their characters. Though Molly comes off as a caricature of a dedicated student at times, Feldstein's performance adds much needed depth to the character, especially in the second half of the film. But throughout the entire movie, Feldstein and Dever have a charming chemistry as friends that shines in Booksmart. In a genre as crowded as the high school coming-of-age comedy, it's tough for new movies to stand out and offer a fresh perspective on this particular time in a young person's life, but Booksmart does just that. Booksmart is worth a watch for anyone interested in coming-of-age high school comedies. Even viewers who are far removed from their own high school days will find something to relate to in the hijinks of Molly, Amy and their classmates (or, at the very least, in the adults who populate their world).