Banana Split

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

I have to start by saying that Banana Split feels unoriginal and like something I've seen many times before. I'm not all that interested in teen dramas in the first place, so they have to do something truly special to stand out for me. This one is a mildly entertaining retread of relationship dramas that get pumped out by movie studios every year, probably in an effort to appeal to the teenage demographic. There was one aspect of the film that I truly enjoyed, though, and that was the friendship between the two girls. There's something so charming and playful about their relationship, and it is so seldom that we get to see movies which simply focus on friends being friends. I was so enamored with this part of the film that it was a big letdown when the boy returned to the story and it all devolved into the same old love triangle nonsense that is played out in countless teen movies. The actresses did a good job in Banana Split, and I liked the way these two diverse personalities found a common ground that united them. I wouldn't be annoyed if I were to re-watch Banana Split, and I'm sure some people might enjoy it a lot, but it's not a movie that I will seek out ever again.

April and nick had a pretty long term thing, for high school kids! But that ended. And now another girl is dating nick. April thinks she's going to hate her, but they actually become friends. Although it's killing april, knowing that clara is banging the delicious nick. With whom she still seems to be in lust, or love. Or something. She does tell us that nick was her first! Lots of millenial cell phone stuff, googling, lots of vaping. Girl talk, guy talk. Teen angst. Which relationships will survive? The girls' friendship? Or nick and....who ? Graduation day is sometimes so....final. Directed by benjamin kasulke. He's won a bunch of film fest awards. Apparently this was really someone's life experience. Probably happens pretty frequently, actually! Cute, simple film, nothing too serious.

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.

This story is a lot of fun. It shows four friends going through highs and lows. The two girls are really likable, and their friendship is very convincing. I find this film infectiously fun, and brings smiles on my face.