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This could be a movie. This could be our final act. We don't need these happy endings
Reviews
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008)
If you're a fan of the books, avoid at all costs!
I am fully aware that when a book/series of books is made into a film, changes often have to be made. But 'Angus, Thongs and perfect Snogging' really took the old poetic license too far. Not content with changing the title, the director also felt the need to change the entire plot, character personalities and modify a hilarious tale of teenage life into a cheesy Disney-like film.
The acting is awkward and cringe-worthy, as if nobody really knows what on earth they are doing in front of the camera or how they got there. The biggest blow to fans of the books will be that Georgia and her friends are just not portrayed as particularly funny.
12-year-old girls who have never laid eyes on the books will probably lap it up, but for any fan over that age, be prepared to be disappointed!
An American Crime (2007)
A tragic story that needed to be told
When I first read about the death of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens, I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. The acts committed against her just seem too awful to contemplate; too horrifying to be real. I also couldn't understand why I had never heard of her before- a young girl that had endured so much suffering should have been the poster-child for child abuse all over the world, and yet sadly to this day many people are unfamiliar with her name and story. Hopefully this film will change that.
I will not pretend that this film is a completely accurate re-telling of Sylvia's story, and there are one or two moments in the film where I thought the director took his poetic license a little too far. However, it is a brilliantly acted interpretation of the events that took place that is likely to haunt you for a long time after viewing.
Sylvia (an effortlessly convincing Ellen Page) and her younger sister, Jenny, are sent to live with single mother of seven, Gertrude Benizewski (a fantastically chilling Catherine Keener)while their parents work the carnival circuit. For $20 a week, Gertrude promises to take care of the girls- But sadly rather than sticking to this promise, she does the unthinkable when her unstable mind finally snaps and she confines Sylvia to the basement for reasons best known to herself.
If you are familiar with the story, 'An American Crime'could be seen as offering a watered-down version of the events that took place in the Benizewski household. If you are unfamiliar with the story, then this film will no doubt urge you to find out more about this astonishing case.
This film will stay with you for a long time- and so will Sylvia.