I had mixed feelings. This is a well acted tale of teenage love gone wrong. A sweet, innocent 14 year old girl ends up prostituting herself (and her best friend) for her tortured, disturbed boyfriend, in the name of love. Chilling, disturbing, and real (based on a true story), and without the self-conscious exploitation of a film like 'Kids'.
But in the end something seemed missing – a deeper theme, or a larger truth. I buy that kids do insane things in the name of love, caught in hormonal rushes, but somehow the film didn't transcend that one obvious notion. It's almost like it didn't take it's own story seriously enough. There was even something a little Hollywood-cliché about it, despite all its extremity. Especially the very familiar 'good' nerdy boy she 'should' like. Most critics I respect liked it more than I, so maybe I'll revisit some day.
But in the end something seemed missing – a deeper theme, or a larger truth. I buy that kids do insane things in the name of love, caught in hormonal rushes, but somehow the film didn't transcend that one obvious notion. It's almost like it didn't take it's own story seriously enough. There was even something a little Hollywood-cliché about it, despite all its extremity. Especially the very familiar 'good' nerdy boy she 'should' like. Most critics I respect liked it more than I, so maybe I'll revisit some day.