How to Talk to Girls at Parties

It's absolutely, not even close to being one of the best movies I've ever watched but my god do I love it. Not mind blowing but somewhat bizarre. The ending is beautiful but everything before that is so weird and uncanny. I spent the whole movie duration asking myself "wtf?". It's probably the most unique movie out there, you'll either like it or hate it and call it silly or for weirdos, I think most people will and understandably so. Looking at the title and cast is very deceiving, which is what I did, and you need an open mind to enjoy it. It's a misfit movie, I guess that's how punks are stigmatized by society; and this movie is a love story between a punk and an alien. It really doesn't fit in well into any genre, it's the 70's, there's aliens, there's funny bits, there's music, there's love, but if you're looking for a sci-fi, comedy, musical or romance movie this still really isn't it. It just a rogue piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit in anywhere. That's why it didn't surprise me when I learnt that this was the oeuvre of the same person who wrote "American Gods", which I do love. There's nothing like that series, and there's nothing like this movie, they're ambitious originals. And I must say, kudos to Nicole Kidman because this feels like the kind of movie actors of her caliber would turn down and she didn't. It's not great, a little tweaks everywhere and bigger production budget could have made it better, but it's uniqueness(is that a word, sounds made up in my head) makes it worth a watch, I however wouldn't recommend it to anyone I know because I don't really know who the intended audience for the movie was. Because I don't know anyone like me, not in a "I'm special" sorta way, more like I'm sorta weird and so is this movie.

It's pretentious and cheesy, unique and amazing. The only promise I can make is that you have never seen anything like it. That in itself should be enough to make any movie or art lover feel like this movie was money and time well spent. Of course there are flaws, but it's punk, that's what gives it character. If you spend all your money on Hollywood reboots, stay far, far away...

You can enjoy the humor in this movie on the surface level or try to dig deeper into the many metaphors. I just went along for the ride and had a great time.

When I read Neil Gaiman's short story of the same title, I wanted more. It is a beautiful story, I wanted more of it, and this movie delivered for me.

If you want to know what you are getting into before watching, it is a blend of romanticized teenage punk scene with fantasy world aliens. It is nostalgic, fun, and touching. You can read the short story before watching the movie, or read the comic book (it is beautiful).

Some negative reviews I've seen say the movie failed their expectations, which were based solely on the title (lol), or cast. Don't be that person. Or maybe they are just punks?

I liked the setting and aesthetic quite a bit.

Though, it was a strange film-- better than your typical Hollywood schlock that fills up most theaters, but it's in no way great. I feel like much more could have been done with this concept, but it just left me, kinda uninterested about halfway though.

The film is not bad, but it's also not good.

If you can watch it for free, eh go ahead.

5/10

Enn (Alex Sharp) is a disaffected youth in late 70's suburban London. He and his friends follow the local punk scene. He writes his zine and has trouble talking to girls. The boys crash a party after the club. They find the people there strange and Enn believes them to be a cult. Zan (Elle Fanning) decides to leave the group to find unique experiences with Enn. The group go to see advent-guard artist Queen Boadicea (Nicole Kidman).

This has some fun and some weirdness. The problem is that it doesn't have quite enough fun nor enough weirdness. Director John Cameron Mitchell is best known for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I did check out the Neil Gaiman graphic short story which has two regular dudes from an all-boys school and the story takes place mostly at that party. I'm sure Mitchell added the punk element which actually added color to the story. Elle Fanning is definitely a beauty which explains why Enn would tolerate her weirdness. The story should really take place over one night. That has the tendency to intensify the narrative. It would also allow Kidman to join the movie earlier. I only laughed once when the aliens blocked the hallway in formation. Otherwise, this is an odd little movie which fails to elevate.