Banana Split

Banana split was a nice movie. It's mainly theme centres around the unexpected friendship of the two main characters, a theme that was actually well executed. The performances were good too, with a nice pace to the plot.

This is not a chick flick. This is a seriously witty, flirty, sexy observation of teenage years. The chemistry between Marks and Liberato actually sizzles off screen and makes your toes tingle. I could 100% imagine these two as a couple. It's down to nothing other than fabulous acting. I put it on to watch Liberato who I've not seen for some time, and ended up a big fan of the film and the 2 leads. Beautifully done film

This is a good movie about two teenage girls developing what could become one of the important friendships of their lives. But there is a major wrinkle which could blow up this budding relationship. Clara is dating Nick, April's ex and April still has strong feelings for him. The best and most convincing stretch of the movie is the segment in which April's feelings of jealous rage slowly and unwillingly morph into the realization that Clara is really cool and nice and has more in common with April than anyone else she has ever met. So the girls become best friends and try to keep this secret from Nick. This seems unlikely to work at all in the age of social media, but at the director's Q&A, he said that the film, written by Hannah Marks, who plays April, was in fact semi-autobiographical.

Interesting, unique, refreshing and funny. Would recommend.

Good watch, might watch again, and can recommend if you're considering it.

The "feel" of the movie reminds me a lot of "Booksmart", but almost more "versus" than "cooperative", if that makes sense to you.

I'm a big fan of Hannah Marks, and less so of Liana Liberato, and while the focus is typically on April, it really felt like they should have been cast in each others's roles, and it's not like Liberato can't carry a lead role. The roles just didn't feel intuitive, and the movie does one of those things where I feel like it's trying to tell me who's hotter, and (for me) Hannah Marks makes more sense as the "hot new thing", and she's the stronger personality. But that's probably why she has the lead here.

It was also frustrating to watch the characters do "stupid high schoolers with too many options" mistakes over and over, letting such a jerk control any level of validation in their lives, and I suppose that's the point that I'm missing is how to relate to it as a young woman that can't control what her wants are, even if they are bad for her.

I have similar stupid things I did when I was younger as a guy, and I think that's what frustrated me. The point in saying any of that is that that "frustration" is what takes this movie from potentially great to a more average viewing experience.

While it's a fine movie, with good characters, acting, and writing, it doesn't feel uplifting or hopeful, the "intensity in battle" is social in nature and not what I'm looking for in a movie, but that doesn't mean that others won't like this much more than me.