How to Talk to Girls at Parties

I managed to watch this online through my Roku on the Kanopy streaming site through my public library's subscription.

To mention that this is a very unusual movie is a big understatement. It starts normally, for a British setting, with the usual goofiness, but then everything changes when a group of three friends crash a party full of people in what appears to be a very strange cult. This is not the kind of movie I'd like to watch often but as a one-off it is very entertaining for those of us who can appreciate the very unusual.

Most of it takes place in the 1970s but there is a scene at the very end in 1992, apparently some new ones start to show up. In the credits is a statement, "No aliens were harmed in making this film" which gives a hint to what we just watched.

It has some of my favorite actors, including Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, and Ruth Wilson, all dressed strangely and playing very strange roles. It was a bit disconcerting to see Kidman and Wilson in such nontraditional roles.

SPOILER: This film came out today in a very limited release but its something I was always going to see because I love Elle Fanning. I kind of forgot that this was a sci-fi inspired comedy. The film has a typically committed performance from Elle Fanning and a very interesting concept and clash between a quirky cult and British punks. Its certainly creative but does not always hit its highs despite having a lot going for it.

The film follows three young kids who are used very into the London pop scene of the 60's. One night they stumble across a house party. Once they go in they see very odd individuals who are very odd, dressed in bright colors, and fairly sexual. It turns out this group are actually aliens exploring Earth and its people The main lead Enn, meets a young girl and hits it off with her as she tries to understand his world and falls in love with him.

Thought the premise for this film was strong and added color and humor to the film. However, the film does feel stretched thin at some points. Its not a shock as Neil Gaiman's short story of the same name is about twenty pages long. Liberties had to be taken and I found a good portion to be enjoyable. The alien plotline and their motives do get muddled though as its not very clear and seems to have too much complexity for the film to handle.

I think the best part of the film was Elle Fanning as the alien. She really is able to transform into that role of a young alien who is trying to learn how the world works and how love works. She also undergoes a shift when she discovers "punk". I'm happy I watched it as its quite unique. The film hits a wall at times but recovers well enough. Also, Nicole Kidman is ace in it.

6.5/10

I liked the setting and aesthetic quite a bit.

Though, it was a strange film-- better than your typical Hollywood schlock that fills up most theaters, but it's in no way great. I feel like much more could have been done with this concept, but it just left me, kinda uninterested about halfway though.

The film is not bad, but it's also not good.

If you can watch it for free, eh go ahead.

5/10

It's absolutely, not even close to being one of the best movies I've ever watched but my god do I love it. Not mind blowing but somewhat bizarre. The ending is beautiful but everything before that is so weird and uncanny. I spent the whole movie duration asking myself "wtf?". It's probably the most unique movie out there, you'll either like it or hate it and call it silly or for weirdos, I think most people will and understandably so. Looking at the title and cast is very deceiving, which is what I did, and you need an open mind to enjoy it. It's a misfit movie, I guess that's how punks are stigmatized by society; and this movie is a love story between a punk and an alien. It really doesn't fit in well into any genre, it's the 70's, there's aliens, there's funny bits, there's music, there's love, but if you're looking for a sci-fi, comedy, musical or romance movie this still really isn't it. It just a rogue piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit in anywhere. That's why it didn't surprise me when I learnt that this was the oeuvre of the same person who wrote "American Gods", which I do love. There's nothing like that series, and there's nothing like this movie, they're ambitious originals. And I must say, kudos to Nicole Kidman because this feels like the kind of movie actors of her caliber would turn down and she didn't. It's not great, a little tweaks everywhere and bigger production budget could have made it better, but it's uniqueness(is that a word, sounds made up in my head) makes it worth a watch, I however wouldn't recommend it to anyone I know because I don't really know who the intended audience for the movie was. Because I don't know anyone like me, not in a "I'm special" sorta way, more like I'm sorta weird and so is this movie.

Greetings again from the darkness. Filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell exploded onto the scene in 2001 with his instant cult favorite HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, and in 2010 he delivered the expertly crafted and somber marital drama RABBIT HOLE. In his first feature film since the latter, Mitchell revisits the punk world in what has been described as Romeo and Juliet with punks and aliens.

Mitchell and co-writer Philippa Goslett adapted the screenplay from a short story by Neil Gaiman ("American Gods"). It's set in 1977 Croydon (outside London) and though music plays a vital role, it's not really a musical. And even with some funny moments, it's not really a comedy. And while there are aliens, one wouldn't label this as science fiction. There is a budding romance at the core, and maybe the romance description fits best ... although, any unwitting group of film goers heading to the theatre expecting a typical romantic drama will likely walk out in the first 15 minutes.

Zan (Elle Fanning) and Enn (Alex Sharp) are star-crossed (or is it intergalactic-crossed?) lovers - she being an alien, he a young punk rocker. This is less about two worlds colliding than two worlds exploring each other: the freedom of punk vs the conformity of the alien colony. We cross paths with the local Queen of punk known as Boadicea (one of the most extreme Nicole Kidman roles of her career), the alien Stella (Ruth Wilson), and Enn's punk mates Vic (Abraham Lewis) and John (Ethan Lawrence).

Far and away the most interesting puzzle piece here is the connection between Enn and Zan. Mr. Sharp (a Bob Geldof lookalike) and Ms. Fanning are terrific together and the film suffers when they aren't on screen. Their live duet onstage is a true highlight and her wide-eyed curiosity combined with his zany punk persona provide most of the film's energy.

"Punk ... the best thing to happen to ugly people" is likely the best line in the film, although Zan requesting "Do some more punk to me" isn't far behind. There are messages here about parenting, diversity and globalization, but mostly it's a creative and wild ride that's not likely to please everyone ... especially those looking for a Nicholas Sparks romance or anyone who might take the title literally. The film is scheduled to show at the Texas Theatre in Dallas beginning June 1, 2018.