21 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Self-Serious, Unsophisticated, Ineffective, February 20, 2009
To quote Leslie Felperin's review in Variety, "Great title, shame about the movie."
Actually, the title is only tangentially related to the film. Secondly, the tagline for this movie ("Every generation needs a new revolution") sums up its painfully unaware self-importance.
Not only was the acting shameful, but the dialogue writing was atrocious. It was clear that no editor had been over the script, which can alleviate some of the concerns over acting, but also--even when there are bad lines, you can TELL when someone couldn't deliver them even if they were good. Example: Carly Pope. She is awful. She's especially cringe-worthy when we get glimpses into her non-crusty self, because the actress only knows how to yell or be mean. The scene at the marriage rally in Sacramento, and pseudo-playful lines like, "Jesus, you dykes are such closed-minded b****es," are a) just Godawful, b) could have worked much better if edited or recited better. Trimming it to, "Jesus, you're so closed-minded" or "Stop being a closed-minded dyke!" would have been funnier, and saying it flippantly (in a way Pope likely is incapable of doing) would have vastly improved it. Also, cursing a lot does not make up for talent deficiencies.
Furthermore, there is a lack of likable characters.
Anna is whiney, immature, and her "growth" seems to consist of becoming the epitome of why the mass populace hates feminists / queer activists. She becomes inconsiderate of her family and co-workers, hostile without provocation, and seems to think that self-confidence and self-esteem involve spray-painting her room (in her parents' home) with words like "cock," ignoring customers, snapping at people around her, and storming out of work while demanding, in a presumptuous and volatile manner, that others cover for her. Unlike Megan from But I'm a Cheerleader, who showed personality, dignity, and composure and truly found a grounded sense of self through evolution viewers could directly watch on-screen, Anna shows stagnation, clinginess, and juvenile irresponsibility in her life, throughout the film. It's difficult, then, to see her attractiveness.
The whole film should have been centred around Aggie, one of very few characters I could feel sympathy towards. His role was extremely minor, but he proved to be the only decent human being with sensitivity in the film--he is a great face for the activist movement, contrasting totally with the other whiney, overly aggressive, stand-offish "representatives" for the cause.
While we're on the topic of radicalism, let's talk MONOGAMY, which was a theme that the director/writers seemed to overlook. While fighting marriage, boob jobs, and the other ever-present symbols of patriarchy, they failed to include monogamy in this category. Sadie, the only truly polyamorous character, is continually faulted for her inability to leave a long-term older (and more mainstream) girlfriend, Courtney, in order to commit to her monthly flings. Both Meat and Anna are crushed when she refuses to devote her romantic life exclusively to either of them, and Anna is rebuked for a brief fling with another of the C(i)A members. Paralleling the rest of the film, the director/writers show obliviousness on this issue, much like they show blindness to the clichés of the film by neglecting parody and satire.
Also, the deadpan, hackneyed Smith and Sarah Lawrence references fall completely flat. If you're going to bring up gigantic stereotypes, you've got to have humour to back it up, or show some recognition of how ridiculous it is that you're including the stereotype. There should be some irony and self-conscious snarkiness.
Lacking any of the self-deprecating, self-referential humour that made But I'm a Cheerleader so brilliant and spot-on, IBTC also fails in emotional integrity and complexity, and even sensitivity and exploration. Two-dimensional and sermonising, IBTC is a horrible way to expose non-activists to activism. It is awful misrepresentation. It's just utterly false and trite and caught up in the superficial, stereotyped aspects of radicalism.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
5 STARS! Rise against the system!, July 3, 2008
In this coming of age story, a young lesbian learns how to rise against the system and defy everything she's learned about what it means to be a woman.
Who best to create a movie about women than a female director? Jamie Babbit, who has worked on "Alias," "The L Word" and "Nip/Tuck," helps the audience see America for the male-dominated society that it is. If SLC Punk! were to meet If These Walls Could Talk 2, the end result would be Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Don't let the star characters' small breasts fool you. Their balls are enormous!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
