Mini's First Time

I saw this film at Tribeca and loved it. From the moment it started with the pulsating music and the fast paced driving sequence of Nikki Reed in her sports car, I was hooked. The energy and excitement kept me on the edge of my seat and the performances were outstanding, especially the wonderfully wicked Nikki Reed, who was superb in "Thirteen."

I was especially impressed with Carrie Ann Moss' performance in a very different role, reinforcing her 'A' list status and demonstrating her wide range as an actress. Other outstanding performances were turned in by Jeff Goldblum, Alec Baldwin and Luke Wilson.

The dialogue was fresh and funny, and I enjoyed going on the wild ride with Nikki Reed and Alec Baldwin as their antics became more and more outrageous. If you love a great dark comedy, this film is for you.

Although I liked the movie and it's plot. The relationship between father Martin and stepdaughter Mini, on which a great deal of the movie builds, somewhat reminded me of the tension between Kathryn and Sebastian in Cruel Intentions.

Plot twists like in Mini's First Time, Wild Things, Dead Mans Curve.. need I go on were refreshing a few years back. Nowadays the unpredictable twist are getting rather predictable to the regular movie viewer.

And let's be fair maybe looks like Mini's can get you out of trouble in the movies but the writers should have drawn the line somewhere and instead of looks let the whole plot support on more realistic excuses for her to come up with.

I just saw this film's world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The movie starts off with Mini, played by Nikki Reed as a spoiled and manipulating child of a wealthy actress (Carrie Anne Moss). (ala Heathers). Anyway, Mini decides to work as a call girl for the heck of it, and one of her first clients is her step-father (Alec Baldwin). They begin a torrid love affair and devise a plan to drive Moss crazy so that they can be together (ala Gaslight). Predictably, the plan turns to murder. And "then" the movie gets really dark.

The first half of the film was really good as the various scenarios devised to make Moss go crazy are inspired and original. However, in the second half of the movie, the plot begins to fall apart and things just get too creepy. Also, the "twist" at the end is somewhat obvious throughout the film.

Finally, I still cant figure out why Jeff Goldblum is in this movie. He's a really good actor, but his character was superfluous and pointless. It seems the only reason he's even in this movie was to add some improv scenes and have him make strange faces for pointless comedy. Has Jeff Goldblum turned into the comedic version of Christopher Walken?

Not hard to see why this movie is hardly know and why it never got released globally in cinemas. It's a very mediocre movie in basically every way imaginable and it just isn't that much special in terms of its originality, despite having an impressive cast in it.

The movie tries to achieve several things throughout but it hardly succeeds fully in any of them. For a thriller it's too light, for a comedy it's not funny enough and for a drama it's not serious enough. the movie tries very hard to be all those things really, with as a result a movie that you just whether don't know to laugh or to be shocked.

Besides it's story isn't very impressive or original. The movie tells its story from the viewpoint of the Nikki Reed character mostly, which makes it odd that we as a viewer never get to know or see what her characters true intentions with the things she does are throughout the movie. Not some very good film-making from the director's and writer's part, which are the same person by the way.

The movie is certainly watchable but due that it's also being really average with basically everything it is also easily a movie you can easily do without.

This movie would had even been lesser known had it not been for it's impressive cast-list. Actors like Alec Baldwin, Nikki Reed, Jeff Goldblum, Carrie-Anne Moss and Luke Wilson all make appearances in this movie. Alec Baldwin is really an actor who gets better with the years and also seems to benefit from the fact that he is getting older. In the beginning of his career he was still being looked upon as the baby-faced pretty boy from the Baldwin family but now he more shows what his qualities truly are. It also was good to see Jeff Goldblum acting again, since I hadn't seen him in anything recently. His particular acting style always remains a pleasure to watch.

Watchable enough little movie but just nothing too special really.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Saw this at Tribeca Film Festival and was laughing the whole way through. This is a very unique film in that it dares to blend genres. Part pitch black comedy, part noir, it sucks you into the story and takes you along for the ride.

Nikki Reed's great in a role that could have been obvious. Alec Baldwin (always good) gives one of the best performance he has in years and Carrie Anne Moss is hilarious as the mom. Goldblum's role as the TV Producer neighbor is so damn funny and Luke Wilson gives a really subtle performance as the detective.

The twists and turns are a a blast. Definitely not a film for those who don't like black comedy, but those with more sick, twisted senses of humor should love it.