SXSW 2012 film review
Girls Against Boys
Director & Screenwriter: Austin Chick A psychological thriller about two girls on a killing spree. With edgy and ironic humor and a darkly meditative tone, it is also a coming-of-age story about a girl learning how the world really works. Cast: Danielle Panabaker, Nicole LaLiberte, Liam Aiken, Michael Stahl-David, Andrew Howard (World Premiere)
Film Synopsis from SXSW.com
WHO'S IT FOR? If you crave a somewhat serious, somewhat psychotic take of women taking revenge on all men, then Girls Against Boys is for you.
OVERALL
We've all heard the saying "boys against girls" on the playground. That's the way I've said it, probably because I'm a boy. Now it's time to turn the tables. That's right ... it's Girls Against Boys, wouldn't that be fun?
Well, that's not what you get with this misleading title (if you interpret it my way). It's not fast or funny, and anything beyond that feels ordinary.
The film follows Shae (Panabaker) as a woman who is treated like a piece of meat. First, it's by a 35-year-old (Howard from Limitless who doesn't look 35) married man, then by a guy after a drunken night. It's not shocking that someone so attractive as Shae can attract this many assholes. It's also not surprising that the film has a character attack and sexual assault Shae. Yeah, I blame the film and not the character. That's just one of the problems that feels forced into this film.
Luckily (I guess), not only do assholes notice Shae, so does Lu (LaLiberte). She has Emma Stone's looks, along with some psycho eyes.
The theme of revenge is treated seriously. The film is slow to start. Those two things make it next to impossible to enjoy the destruction that Shae and Lu take up. It's not even unsettling because it doesn't feel real. It also doesn't make much sense. It's not like they have a kill list of men who need to die, and Shae is shockingly fine with the violence, until she's shockingly over it. There is no one to root for and eventually I just didn't want anyone else to die. The whole time I kept thinking, "See, this is why mom's need to answer the phone and not be working when their children call." By the time we meet Tyler (Aiken) I see what they could have done to make this film more engaging for me. Tyler is easily someone to root for, but comes along to late. What he represents to Shae could have been introduced in the beginning. Something/someone for us to hope Shae can find her way back to.
Girls Against Boys seems like a movie that is trying to make some point about the sexes. It doesn't break down any barriers that feel fresh or exciting.
FINAL SCORE: 4/10