Beauty and the Least: The Misadventures of Ben Banks

While the plot of Beauty and the Least (Ben Banks...)is generally interesting, if unimaginative, the movie itself is incredibly flawed. From the whiny, cliché "indie mood music" that courses throughout, to the over-abundant extreme face close-ups, the vast majority of the movie feels like an imitation of a traditional coming-of-age indie film. Indeed, a few tweaks, and it could almost become a parody of the genre. The script feels terribly overworked and unoriginal--- the last line is cringe-inducing. While watching this movie, I had almost constant deja vu; as if I was re-watching the awkward senior film project my roommate had directed in college. The most glaring issue with the film, however, is hands-down the acting. Mischa Barton is unbelievable at best. Ben Banks... well, he seems like a moderately sexy stoner who was given a script an hour prior to filming. He acting is painfully awkward at times. There is some comic relief in the form of some Reno 911-style side characters--- maybe they remind me of something funny or maybe I was just so happy to be slightly entertained, but they felt hilarious compared to the plodding pace of the rest of the movie. Ultimately the movie was slow, trite, and though reasonably pretty to look at, completely forgettable.

The only reason this movie doesn't get 2 stars is for Mischa Barton starring in this film. That, and I recognize some of the towns featured. The movie is slow, poorly acted, and has very few entertaining scenes. That being said, I'd recommend this film if you were drunk and bored. I wouldn't even recommend this on a long plane ride, as staring out the window for 14 hours might be more appealing.