Buy It Now

I really loved this film. I was warned that the subject matter was disturbing, but I was not prepared for the performance of the young woman in Buy It Now. Chelsea Logan is absolutely captivating. The emotional places this courageous,young actress is willing to go for our benefit demonstrates talent far beyond her years. I also thought the supporting ensemble, especially Rosemarie Dewitt, was very well cast. Antonio Campos, the director, is clearly very talented. I will continue to follow his budding career. I'm not kidding. This is one of the best films I've seen this year. I saw Kronicas (John Leguizamo) last weekend and that was up there too.

If taken as just the first half, this film is exceptionally convincing and sums up a lot about teen culture these days, the pressure kids feel and the emphasis placed on sexual experiences. Through only a handful of clips, all shot by our protagonist Chelsea herself, we see her habits and her downfalls, and learn a little about why she's doing this, even begin to empathise with this misguided teenager. By the end of the "documentary" half, the last words that crop up on screen provide little comfort for the devastating events that precede them.

However...

As soon as the "narrative" side kicks in, it becomes clear that this is just a film - the whole story is told again, this time presented as a hard-hitting drama. The lead actress reprises her role, but the narrative is played out with such uncharacteristic woodenness and forced scripting that it's difficult to believe this is the same story and, as a result, everything that Campos had achieved in the first half becomes a faded memory. Rather than show off his versatility as a director, he instead proves to us that he's far more suited to one style than the other in what constitutes an exercise rather than a feature. In other words, don't expect anything complete.

I gave this a four out of ten simply because it is a very uneven piece. The first half is very promising, but too short to make its impact; the second half removes all pathos in favour of forgettable scripting.

I saw this film at the Cannes Film Festival. Firstly, I am surprised that the running time here is listed as 60+ minutes. The cut that I saw, and the cut that won the Cinefondation award, was 34 minutes. Perhaps there's an extended version? Anyway. I didn't think the film was great, and I certainly didn't hate it. It was "okay". I usually have a strong opinion about what I watch, but with "Buy It Now" I looked at it more as a technical piece than anything else. Maybe it's because I knew the story that it was based on quite well (UK girl who sells her virginity on Ebay). To me, this adaptation of the real-life incident is joyless and heavy-going. The vertical framing techniques employed are quite good, as is the soft focus used on the mother and the deliberately slow pacing when Chelsea is waiting for "the man". But it all feels a little self-indulgent and pointless. What is the film trying to say? It looks heavy, and it feels heavy, but surprisingly the after-taste is faint and quick to vanish.

Having said that, the performances are excellent, some of the techniques used are interesting and the "direct cinema" photography is inspired. For what it is- a student film- it's strong.

Buy it Now is a film in two parts about a 16-year-old girl who sells her virginity on eBay. at least that's what the tag line says. in actuality, it's a searing and moving portrait of a troubled adolescent who is surrounded by a society obsessed with consumerism and by parents entirely oblivious to the reality of their daughter's life. rather than being exploitative or sensational, Buy it Now gives a tender and often disturbing look at the lives of teenagers today.

this is a fantastic film...tremendously conceived, beautifully made, wonderfully acted. it is also a difficult film to watch, so it may not appeal to the average viewer; but the talent of everybody involved is obvious. 10 stars for this daring and well-made film!