Teen Spirit - A un passo dal sogno

I am glad that Elle Fanning got to showcase her genuine vocal talent in this movie through the character Violet which is rare for most actors in singing roles.

What ruined this movie though was the screen play which was deathly boring and mediocre. I am not the biggest fan of Elle Fanning, but she can do much better than this, had it not been for her this would have been a complete waste.

Teen Spirit is a very well made musical drama. Elle Fanning delivers an excellent lead performance. She shines throughout this film. The supporting cast also does a good job in this film. The film is very well directed by first timer Max Minghella. The film is very stylish, and makes good use of its pop soundtrack. You are never bored during its runtime, even when you know where this film is going. Easily the film's main weaknesses is its storyline. You know where the film is going right from the start. But it's so well done that you can forgive it. Overall, this isn't anything really new, but it's well made enough to keep you entertained.

Prior to watching I was leaning toward one star based on the cheap cover, moronic title, and a theme done many times before, i.e. young singer with big dreams comes out of nowhere w/some obstacles along the way of course. What turned me into a strong supporter? Great acting by Elle, Agnieszka (played the tough mom to humorous perfection), and Zlatko. Great blending of music w/changing scenes. Great camera work & editing. Good choice of songs, many by well known artists. Finally, and no way the least, Elle did the singing. I first thought it was professional voice dubbing based on range, emotive presence, pitch quality, but nope just her. Bonus: Elle watches "The Voice".

The first two thirds of the film put me on life support. There was a glimmer of hope near the end, but then the film was over and I realized we never got anywhere. Not satisfying at all and really a waste of time unless you're just a massive Elle Fanning fan.

What makes a good film can be subjective, but a critical concept is that you need proper pacing and contrast between different types of scenes. Nobody wants 60 minutes of the camera pointed at a tree... They tried to put a couple things in, like the scene involving a horse and then some drinking later on, but it was seriously still a bore.

I got a few "Smash" (TV series from 2012) flashbacks while watching this but that was probably just my brain trying to stay awake...

This movie had so much potential, but the screenwriter did a rushed and awful job. So many side stories on the movie could have been expanded in order to make it rich for our thirsty eyes. The end was so abrupt that made me think that they finished it in a hurry because they were running out of budget. I recommend seeing it but without high expectations, or else you will be disappointed.