In general I find Netflix movies to be very hit-or-miss. And to a degree, parts of this movie are hit-or-miss, as well. But there are some good reasons to watch this Netflix film.
First and foremost, the two leads. I'd never been truly aware of Jacob Latimore before, although I see that he is a rapper and actor that is getting around a bit. He's excellent here. I think we're going to be seeing a lot more from this young man. Similarly, I was not familiar with Sami Gayle. Didn't know about her, but her performance was right on target, as well.
I was a lot less impressed with the actresses who played their mothers, but -- at least in the case of one -- I wasn't sure if it was the problem of the actress, or the problem of the director. The performance by Uzo Aduba as Latimore's mother...something just off about it. And the performance by Christina Hendricks as Gayle's mother...well, I didn't care for that, either. In both cases, I can't tell you why...I just know that they didn't fit in with the characters of the college-bound kids.
There were two other problems here. First, Helen Hunt played a counselor here, and midway through the film she dies. Okay. Part of life. But then her character just disappears without any referral back to her later in the film. And because of the purpose of her role, it should have been referred back to later in the film. This was a missed opportunity.
And then there's the way the film ends. The universities they actually get into. Illogical, unlikely, a tried-to-be-clever ending right out of the blue.
However, it's an entertaining LITTLE film. I'll look for some more film work with Latimore. I think he's got what it takes in Hollywood.
First and foremost, the two leads. I'd never been truly aware of Jacob Latimore before, although I see that he is a rapper and actor that is getting around a bit. He's excellent here. I think we're going to be seeing a lot more from this young man. Similarly, I was not familiar with Sami Gayle. Didn't know about her, but her performance was right on target, as well.
I was a lot less impressed with the actresses who played their mothers, but -- at least in the case of one -- I wasn't sure if it was the problem of the actress, or the problem of the director. The performance by Uzo Aduba as Latimore's mother...something just off about it. And the performance by Christina Hendricks as Gayle's mother...well, I didn't care for that, either. In both cases, I can't tell you why...I just know that they didn't fit in with the characters of the college-bound kids.
There were two other problems here. First, Helen Hunt played a counselor here, and midway through the film she dies. Okay. Part of life. But then her character just disappears without any referral back to her later in the film. And because of the purpose of her role, it should have been referred back to later in the film. This was a missed opportunity.
And then there's the way the film ends. The universities they actually get into. Illogical, unlikely, a tried-to-be-clever ending right out of the blue.
However, it's an entertaining LITTLE film. I'll look for some more film work with Latimore. I think he's got what it takes in Hollywood.