Just Looking

In the 50s, in Bronx, Lenny Levine (Ryan Merriman) is a Jewish teenager trying to discover sex, being quite obsessed by sex in a naive way. He does not like his stepfather and misses his father, who died a couple of years ago. After trying to see his stepfather having sex with his mother Sylvia Levine Polinsky (Patti LuPone), he is sent to Brooklyn to spend his summer vacation with his pregnant aunt Norma de Lorenzo (Ilana Levine) and his Italian uncle Phil de Lorenzo (Peter Onorati). He likes his uncle Phil and becomes friend of a boy and two girls of his age, who have a "sex club", and Alice, the most experienced of the group, explains subjects related to sex to the others. Later, Lenny has a crush on the nurse Hedy Coletti (Gretchen Mol), a former model. Along his vacation, the reality about the relationship of his father and his mother is disclosed to Lenny, while he learns many topics about sex, reaching the adolescence. "Just Looking" was a great surprise for me: the ridiculous Brazilian title ("The Indiscreet Lens") hides a delightful and nostalgic movie about reaching the adolescence in the 50s. In some moments, it slightly recalls the classic "Summer of 42". It is impossible not liking "Just Looking", which is sensitive, funny, with a magnificent screenplay and dialogs and excellent direction and performance of the cast. Indeed, it is a must-see movie, recommended for any audience. Gretchen Mol is amazingly beautiful in the role of Hedy, and Ryan Merriman and Amy Braverman are excellent in the roles of curious teenagers. I saw this movie on VHS, but today I am going to buy the DVD. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Lente Indiscreta" ("The Indiscreet Lens")

I truly wish I could have seen this movie a couple of years ago, I probably would have enjoyed it even more then. But still, at the age of 20 I find it to be very amusing and entertaining. It's one of those growing up movies you liked when you were 10, but is still great when you watch it as an adult. The story is funny and the characters evenly so, and the good acting is what binds this movie together. Jason Alexander shows us he is not only one of the funniest actors around, he can also direct, and as far as this movie is concerned he does it surprisingly well.

A bit of nostalgia I suppose. 7/10

Alexander and Karp hit a home run with this sweetly sentimental little slice-of-life flick about a Bronx boy in the 50's when his hormones have kicked in and he finds himself preoccupied with sex. Merriman makes a solid centerpiece among some fine character actors and the much under-rated Gretchen Mol as our little hero learns lessons about life, love and...yeah, sex too. A cute, fun, and earnest little romp for anyone who can harken back to when sex was just one big question mark.

...and somehow a relief from the modern teen comedies such as American pie, Road trip, Not another teen movie,...

Maybe the acting is not on the level, like it was in The Bronx tale with Rober De Niro or so deep story as in My girl, but hey, at least in this movie kids are shown as they really are. At that age they would like to know everything about sex and here is it shown without a prejudice. I was quite surprised to see an American director to go that far, since Hollywood is so puritan, compared to European production. Well done.

With a little more ambition, this movie would surely be more memorable (maybe with a stronger story and beside Gretchen Mole, some other famous actor).

But despite that, the movie is quite enjoyable to watch it on the video and that's why a little above average grade of

6 out of 10

Although there have been countless films on teenage yearnings and lust, occasionally a little gem crops up. Just Looking is one such film, a gentle but frank script with the occasional comic one liners thrown in is a harmless and entertaining film with a feel good ending.