Review of About a Girl

In this coming of age film you will find an interesting plot at the beginning. 15 year old Charleen tries to commit suicide - with no real reason. Could be an inspiring moment to look behind her life. Director tries it - but by doing so - the film is getting worse and worse. Main point: I really had problems to watch it to the end (I did!) - jsut bescuae the main actor Jasna Fritzi Bauer doesn't fit in her role. I mean: come on, a 25 year old actor plays an 15 year old teenie girl? You see it physically - there's a gap, which Jasna couldn't fill. Her face looks way older than a young teenie face. The way she speaks almost most of the times: way too clever for a girlie that age. I mean - how many girls THAT quick-witted do you know? THAT precocious? Maybe with 18, if you are smart enough - but come on, 15? I really do not accept child or teenie roles so far away from normal behaviour. And in films genereally, you'll find these kind of role misinterpretation way too often. Here, Jasna tries to be 10 years younger, but the concept fails miserably. What a pity, because she can do better!

In addition there are far too many family clichés - the good old granny, her mothers dumb new lover, the father being a useless bungler (of course driving an old Volvo...), then the best girlfriend who suddenly becomes lesbian (??), the psychiatrist is weird, and a completely unbelievable love story with a nerd from her class. It is not surprising that this role was also played by someone over the age of twenty - and how bad he was (IMDB says it was his last film - no wonder!).

I really try to be generous with all kind of films - but here you have one of these many german entertainment films, which fails in all ways.