Le dernier jour de ma vie

Watched this movies late at night on Netflix with low expectations when I realised it was going to be an American High School Groundhog Day without the laughs. Don't turn off the movie after 30 mins and you might get a pleasant surprise. Far better than I hoped for.

When I read that this film was a cross between Groundhog Day and Mean Girls I nearly passed it up. Thank goodness I didn't, as it is a truly exceptional film, sure teen films have been done to death, but for a change the film contains empathy and soul, I know it's a cliche but Samantha's journey of discovery is well realised.

The film is well paced, very well acted, and very engaging, I found it very easy to follow the story, and understand the character's motives.

So often this type of movie features great ideas, but the execution is too blunt, Before I fall is subtle, engaging and excellent all round. I'm so surprised by its sheer quality. 9/10

The popular Samantha Kingston (Zoey Deutch) goes to the high-school on the day known as Cupid´s Day with her best friends Lindsay Edgecomb (Halston Sage), Ally Harris (Cynthy Wu) and Elody (Medalion Rahimi). Sam mistreats her little sister and her parents at home. She plans to lose her virginity with her boyfriend Rob Cokran (Kian Lawley) during the night. She is invited to go to a party at the house of her schoolmate Kent McFuller (Logan Miller), who has a crush one her, but she despises him. Sam and her friends mock the outcast student Juliet Sykes (Elena Kampouris) at the restaurant. During the night, Lindsay is cruel with Juliet that leaves the party in tears and Rob is totally drunk. Sam decides to go home with her friends but the car hits something and overturns and Sam dies. However, one the next day, Sam wakes up on the Cupid´s Day and she believes she had a nightmare. But soon she realizes that the day is repeating exactly like her dream. Did she have a premonition?

"Before I Fall" is a surprisingly good teen film with the story of a teenage girl trapped in the last day of her life. Based on the Sisyphus legend, the protagonist has the chance to make amendments to her futile life being kind to people that love her and becoming a better person before moving on. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Antes que Eu Vá" ("Before I Go")

This is surprisingly good. I thought it'd be just another predictable crappy teen movie. But it was actually very well thought out, brilliantly acted and riveting to watch. Definitely recommend. It deserves a higher rating.

This is one of those 'God I miss the forums' moments. I wish I had someone to talk to about this movie, even while putting up with the trolls lol.

THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

This is a variation of the Groundhog Day/Butterfly effect that has been done Ad nauseum in books and movies where our main character relives the same day. As expected, the point of the story is that their actions in that day evolve to the point where the lessons are learned and the day finally ends. This movie is no different. I'm haunted by this movie because of a particular lesson learned, and it's not the main one that finally ends her loop.

Sam is our main character caught in the time loop. She is part of a foursome of girls that are the popular girls and sometimes the mean girls. Their leader is Lindsay (Linds) who is the meanest of all with some deep rooted insecurities. As Sam relives her day she discovers more insight into her own life and the flaws of her and her friends. The two girls that receive the bulk of the mean girl routine become known to her and she realizes she is just following Lindsay like a puppet, not even knowing why they are mean to these girls. On one of her days journey, she lashes out at her friends in anger and disgust, particularly her bestie Lindsay. She sees Lindsay for who she is and she doesn't like it. For most people that would be the end of that. We all have those friends that we turn on when we realize their flaws and decide to remove them from our lives. Let's face it, love is usually conditional. The part of the movie that REALLY got me and I can't stop thinking about is the full circle point where she recognizes the motivation behind Lindsay's 'meanness' and shows her total compassion and love. She embraces this meanest girl of all and instead of rejection and hate she provides her with complete recognition and acceptance. This may seem like no big deal to most, but to me it stuck out like a sore thumb. Usually in movies and books the character like Lindsay end with that character getting his or her comeuppance. Instead this movie preaches love and understanding of all people.This is the part I can't stop thinking about. This is the kind of love and compassion that I would venture to say most of us want to think we posses, but really don't when it's too close to home. I found that very inspiring and it has me thinking of various people I've rejected in my life based on my judgment of them without any compassion.

Any movie that makes me think as much as this one has deserves a 10.