Journal intime d'une future star

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen looks like a very over-produced film (every scene features loud bright colours, neon lights, heavy costume design..etc)and the scene where Lola and Carla (Megan Fox) are sitting in the auditorium features heavy blurring, thereby making the scene a tad jarring. I did think that Lohan, Garcia and Kane gave solid performances even if the latter two didn't get as much screen time.

The film is far from the worst ever made, but it is definitely one of Lohan's weaker films, especially compared to the likes of "Freaky Friday" and "Mean girls". I don't think the film is terrible per say just a little boring and very predictable. It was clearly a good children's book, just not compelling enough a story for filming. One for younger girls I'm afraid.

Lindsay Lohan does give a very entertaining performance as Lola, a girl who moves to New Jersey, and the film really starts from there. I liked the locations and the costumes, really I did, and I am 17. Lindsay's co-stars don't do too bad a job either, and I liked the soundtrack. I liked the fact that Lindsay sang, and I liked the update of Pygmalion. However, the film does have a number of failings. Like a number of people, I wasn't too keen on Sara Sugarman's directing, it seemed more like just do what you normally do and we'll capture it on screen. The script was also very clichéd and predictable, likewise with the plot. I don't think the film's rather long length gave it justice either. Overall, not as bad as some people have said, but far from the chick-flick masterpiece it yearned to be. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Lindsay Lohan plays Lola, a hip Greenwich Village teenager who moves to a new school in a Jersey suburb, where she faces Carla Santini, a girl claiming to be the most popular girl at her school, a title that Lola must have no matter what. After trying to nab the lead role in the school play, the competition between the two girls culminates at a sold-out concert by Lola's favorite band that Carla conveniently has tickets to see.

The previews made the film seem boring and for the most part it is. There's not really a story and it's hard to tell what the real intentions of the film are. There were a bunch of little stories but none of them really went anywhere. I know this film is directed towards teenage girls but they deserve better films than this. The movie was just so lame and unfunny. The whole clumsy girl act is really getting old and it wasn't really funny to begin with anyways. They were trying really hard for laughs and it just wasn't working. There were just a few small chuckles and that's it. The only reason why someone should watch this is because of Lindsay Lohan. She actually gives an entertaining performance and she saves the film from being really bad.

Sarah Sugarman does a terrible job at directing. She doesn't have one clear idea for a story, just a bunch of random scenes put together. It was pretty much just Lindsay Lohan running around all over the place. Lohan doesn't really get support from the rest of the cast since they all decide to phone in their performances. The film is also very unrealistic and it sends a bad message out to kids. For example, two thirteen (or fourteen) year old girls wouldn't go to a concert in New York and depend on a scalper to give them tickets. Then they have this scene where the two girls are in the bedroom of Sid Arthur having a pillow fight while there's a party (thrown by a rock star) going on downstairs. It was just completely stupid and unrealistic. The ending is also pretty bad since it randomly ends with Lohan kissing Sam even though they hardly focused on this romantic subplot. This film was just an uneven, unfunny mess. In the end, Lindsay Lohan is the only reason to watch this and it's really just for die hard fans. Rating 3/10

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen is about nothing, and yes, it is about everything. The familiar dilemma of juggling one's dreams with the realities of school, family and self-esteem is there - but it is first & foremost about friendship, portrayed in a wonderful, natural way by Alison Pill (Ella) and Lindsay Lohan (Lola/Marie). The friendship portrayed by these two lead actors are as real as any I've seen on screen. I especially look forward to seeing Alison Pill (Pieces of April) in more first-run movies.

The movie has a fine cast, and first-rate performances in the supporting roles - Glenne Headley as the single mother, is understated but a steady, anchoring presence in the entire movie. Megan Fox is the stylish school queen-bee whose role is much more complex than on first impression. Carol Kane is hilarious as the overwrought drama teacher.

Because the script is based on a popular novel, the movie rewards the viewer who listens carefully as it has densely humorous script. There are subtle lines and touches which can be missed. One example of the original nature of this movie is the way the budding 'romantic interest' of Lola is treated as a true subplot. This movie is about friendship, not romance.

The director, Sara Sugarman, deserves a lot of the credit for adapting the book to the screen with imagination and playful flourishes which reflect the mindset of the lead character and don't get in the way of the movie. The characters come across as real people, with real lives. There is an overall loving attention to detail in editing, production design and the several subplots all have meaning and contribute to each other without contrivance.

This is an accomplished movie with a nice message which succeeds at many different levels. While under-appreciated during its original theatrical run, I predict it will stand the test of time.

CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN ** A lot of fluff and nonsense. It's about a spirited teen who moves from New York City to a dull suburb in New Jersey and faces difficulty when she enters into a new school. One of her pupils has the Most Popular Girl title that she strives to have (after all, she IS a Drama Queen!), so she takes the lead role in a school play to attain the title. The shallow screenplay is so full of holes one wonders how it managed to hold its own at the box office. Production designer Leslie MacDonald and costume designer David C. Robinson have a field day making this rather trivial production visually rich.