The_nibs

The protagonist is a lovely actress, and Alan Cummings is adorable, but the drama is predictable and lacking. I have not read the book but I was hoping that this film was really going to unpack the trauma of sexual assault victims. Instead it focuses more on Holmes' character, a bipolar/schizophrenic addict who fidgets a lot, and her relationship with Benita. In fact their surface level friendship takes up a good portion of the film but it's not terribly interesting. They have a couple of giggly late night chat sessions, get drunk a couple of times, and wax poetic about life, but other than being broken, which apparently every character is in some capacity, I don't see what they have in common. I'm a trauma victim, I just don't see bonding over mental illness as a positive thing. I also really disliked how preachy this film feels, characters constantly drop feel good lines about beauty, honesty and rebirth, it feels like a Pinterest board full of inspirational quotes, and they like to show broken objects constantly to remind you of how broken the characters are, but unlike objects people cannot be repaired with some gold epoxy resin. And that's the big drawback here, a woman who was raped almost never discusses or receives therapy for it, and we're suppose to believe she picks up and moves on. Sexual trauma is a life time affliction, and it would take way longer for this woman to acclimate post trauma than it depicts in the film. It honestly undermines the severity of mental health in pursuit of touting some flowery speech and feel good moments. I think Katie Holmes would have been better sticking to Pinterest.

It's like if you hired Bear Grylls to host a children's party. There are several extremely obnoxious contestants, a weird tag along host, combined with obstacle courses that literally children could do. This is a far cry from his previous undertakings, hell even the hand holding he did with celebrities was better than this garbage, at least then they actually went somewhere, like Alaska, instead of cheaply simulating "hostile environments". And by hostile environments I of course mean a snow machine on a farm in Massachusetts... Do not waste your time, you'd have more fun getting a colonoscopy.

How the mighty have fallen.

I wish this movie was more enjoyable, it has some knock out actresses, it is after all Robert's debut film, but there's something inherently lacking here. The premise is simple enough, three townie girls at different stages in their lives looking for romance (or sex), all set against the backdrop of a Pizzeria in a poor seaside town. The Pizzeria feels like the only connecting thread at times, so perhaps that's why the film was named as such. I never get a true sense of friendship or sisterhood between these girls, the bonding moments are almost strictly centered around drinking or arguing, neither of which endears us to these characters. And there's yelling, a lot. It's like everyone but the shy babysitter (Kat) is at full volume expressing themselves, shouting their thoughts and opinions which are often conflicting and all over the place. I know they are supposed to be in their late teens, but they seem younger due to their immaturity. What was the deal with Jo? She was so over sexed but becomes embarrassed and freaks when her boyfriend calls her out on it? What even?? I didn't mesh with her story at all, it was very one note. Daisy's romance was at least entertaining, the dinner scene was hilarious but I'm skeptical that it was meant to be. Her sister, Kat, has a sad but weird love story where she is seduced by a man almost twice her age, like that's acceptable (?!), and the way it unfolds feels lazy and predictable. I would describe this film as hormonal, and there aren't enough funny, happy, touching moments to temper the abrupt emotional outbursts that happen every five seconds. It's watchable for some.. This is my second time around where I thought I'd give it another chance but just no. Never again. It has so much superficial emotion but it lacks actual heart. Some may like it, surely, if you're into TV drama and Hallmark, but otherwise you'll likely be left wanting for something with more substance to it.