Almost Adults

This movie underwhelmed me. Not the worst but not very good / memorable either.

I follow the makers of this film (Sarah and Adrianna) as well as the actresses who also play Carmilla, so please know that I am trying to like this movie.

My initial thoughts on the plot of this film was that it seemed just like that Leighton Meester movie, "Life Partners" but I was desperately hoping it was not. It wasn't the best movie in the world, but it still beat this one.

I'm sorry, but I can't like this movie. It's just not possible. It's cliché, the acting is bad, the script is shallow and boring. The fact that its filled with Lesbian stereotypes to the rim just adds insult to injury.

Story line: Boring and cliché. It's filled with lesbian stereotypes and rather than a nervous exploration into the lesbian world as a "baby dyke" it ended up being incredibly shallow, typical and simply unrealistic. The film tries too hard to be funny. And while something said in the film may work among friends, film viewers aren't friends with the characters because there is no depth.

Characters: No depth to any of them whatsoever. By the end of the film you don't know them any better than at the beginning of the film.

Acting: It's OK at times, but for the most part it is not great. I expected more from Elise and Natasha outside of Carmilla. But considering how both overacted even the simplest of human interactions goes to show that both are simply too inexperienced. This was an hour and a half that I just ended up cringing and stopping the film. When it came to serious scenes, I just could not take either of them seriously.

Summary: I hate to say I hated this film. But I hated this film. It was boring, cliché, had no depth and was just not funny. I'm sorry Sarah and Adrianna, but this was a bad film. I walked away not gaining anything from this film except for cringe.

I'm not familiar with the two actresses. I wasn't expecting much. The film itself is a relatively low budget situational drama. It could probably make a decent play.

What I enjoyed was the kookiness of the two leads. They were overacting but then half the story is about overreacting, being a bit annoying and self centred. But as friends, they don't realise it until the friendship is tested. But I liked all the little ways they were reacting to each other, there was real chemistry there. The levity helped break the moments of tension.

I felt there were some overdone moments. The last scene should have been cut. But I guess it shows how both got closure and moved on. The pacing in the story drifts a bit so it's slightly too long. The story isn't convoluted but also not very deep and plays up to some huge cliches, for instance not all women who play softball/soccer/football/sports are lesbians. The way they talk in the film is also annoying at first, but aside from the parents.. That's true of all the actors except the soccer chick.

This could have been a reasonably entertaining movie, if the scenes had been rehearsed more and if the director had gotten the right tone. But we are left with, for instance, cringy scenes where the actors don't know what to do with their hands while speaking, and the director keeps their awkwardness in frame. Halting lines delivered with entirely wrong emphasis. Some of the premises were not believable -- if the young lesbian had spent so much time watching lesbian porn, as shown, she surely would have had a better grasp of some basic moves. And the idea that her best friend did not know was too farfetched. The film had heart, but it needed a director who could perceive how weak the shots were, and it needed a scriptwriter who could fix the obvious flaws. This movie is better than a "class project" level of competence, but only just. There is not a single moment of brilliance or hilarity. Yet, it's sort of worth watching, if you're determined to watch EVERY lesbian movie you can find.

I was really excited to watch this film because I am a huge fan of the Gay Women Channel. I watched it on Netflix tonight and have to say I feel empty after finishing it... And not in a good way. The two lead performances (by Carmilla's own Elise Baumen and Natasha Negovanlis) were good, not great, and they made the most of what they had, script-wise. It almost felt like it would have worked better as a YouTube series or something serialized. The story sort of petered off and then went no where... It was also sort of off-putting to see Natasha and Elise in this situation, honestly... It was hard to believe. The stakes were never quite high enough to earn their dramatic performances. Looking forward to what all of these artists do next. Liked it, but definitely didn't love it.