Mini's First Time

If you're a fan of this genre, you'll love this film. If not probably not for you, but one of the funniest films I've seen in a long time. Depraved, unrelenting, will probably scare the hell out of some parents or Christian fundamentalists who think Hollywood is glorifying deviant behavior in our teens.

The conceit of the film, a girl who will try anything once is very effective because you're always wondering where this philosophy will take us next. Without giving anything away, this idea mixed with an ethereal, driving score pulls you into Mini's world and you'll follow her anywhere.

The performances by all 5 leads are incredible. Baldwin gives his best performance in years and that's saying a lot because he's been doing great work. It's easily the best I've seen this year so far in any film by a male lead. He renders this macho, yet beaten down PR exec in a way where although he doesn't deserve our sympathy, he gets it.

Reed is astonishing. Part vixen, part little girl lost, the glee with which she sets about her goals, takes a character who is, in fact a sociopath and makes you respect and like her. Although what she does is without a doubt destructive there is an implicit understanding that she is surrounded by adults who only pretend to be moral. Her intellectual honesty is actually refreshing.

Her performance works in part because of Carrie Anne Moss' willingness to deliver one of the most chilling and hilarious performances in years as Mini's mother. The incarnation of Hollywood self absorption. It's clear that Mini wasn't born this way, she is a product of Diane's utter lack of mothering. Mini is an inconvenient appendage in Diane's life and Diane lets her know it whenever she can.

Jeff Goldblum is spot on perfect as their TV producer neighbor, whose lighthearted, Dionysian life is a constant thorn in Baldwin's side. Luke Wilson also gives as subtle a performance as he has in years. At first playing an incarnation of his sad sack Mitch from "Old School" and then switching on a dime to show us just how smart this detective has been all along. The look of muted terror on Baldwin's face when he realizes how he's been the recipient of Wilson's own PR play is priceless.

I'm sure some parents groups will attack it as encouraging teenagers to turn on their parents and to indulge in the darkest parts of society, but it really felt like a cautionary tale about what happens when kids know in their bones that they aren't loved.

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.

Mini's First Time is not the first time this film has been made and released with a target audience in mind. Mini's First Time, starring Alec Baldwin, Nikki Reed, Jeff Goldblum and Carrie-Ann Moss rehashes the same old dark humor American Beauty made mainstream. Equipped with almost an identical soundtrack as American Beauty, Mini tries too hard to be cool. Other than the excellent performances by both Baldwin and Moss, the film is bereft of any originality and seems to take itself to seriously for its own good. Nikki Reed, although young and annoying at first becomes more and more bearable as the film progresses, and towards the end is actually acceptable. Playing the young femme fatale, Reed lends her sexuality and small amount of talent to the screen, whilst simultaneously captivating my attention with her eyes. Goldblum plays the same character he's been playing the last few years, straight out of Igby Goes Down, complete with the riches and lust for infidelity. This film does portray the rich of the Hollywood hills very well, so well that after 10 minutes or so you feel like part of the group (morning drinking, promiscuity, and infidelity). These attributes have become so mainstream in todays wealthy, dark humor, family films that it does not seem to affect me anymore like it did the first time I sat down to watch Less Than Zero or American Beauty. The film does have an edgy direction, and sometimes interesting cinematography. Unfortunately the amateur narration, by Reed, takes away from some of the realism and leaves the film feeling dull at times. Of course, not all of the film is backwash, and the director Nick Guthe does show promise in his search for something original. Unfortunately Guthe did take the risk of being cliché, and with all intents and purposes hit the nail right on the target.

Although the story is a bit entertaining to watch the quality is just not there. It all looks and sounds like a TV movie. Not that there's something wrong with TV movies but it's just not of the same quality. The worst thing about Mini's First Time was the soundtrack. That was really bad and brought the quality of the movie down. Despite some known names in the cast not everybody in this movie is a great actor. I've seen worse movies so it's not all that bad, but it won't win big prizes, that's for sure.