Fantastic birthday

I really enjoyed this Australian coming of age film with a 1970s vibe. It has a Napoleon Dynamite/Moonrise Kingdom feel with a bit of magic thrown in and if that's what you like, you'll enjoy this. It had a few good one-liners that friends still quote today. The only this missing is an official release of the soundtrack, still most of the song are available to buy individually.

Girl Asleep starts as a stylish coming of age "dramedy" about a misfit teenage girl named Greta who is bullied by three girls at school. Befriended by fellow misfit Elliot, the two form a sweet bond early in Act I where the audience is also introduced to Greta's colorful family which includes a quirky mom, a corny joke-telling dad and an apathetic older sister. Once the 2nd Act gets started, the story starts to gradually deviate and by the time Act III comes around, there's almost a complete shift in mood and genre. What was a light and fun narrative had become this kind of darkly juvenile fantasy adventure; it's disruptive and actually really strange.

A interesting, fun, awkward teen adventure that will take you on on adventure. Must see film for anyone who never quite fit in.

It has quirkiness, 1970s throw back, girl drama and most importantly dad jokes. Gretel and Elliott will have you cheering from your seats that is OK to just be yourself.

The film is perfectly pitched for teenagers or for anyone who was slightly left of field in high school. So just about everyone!

Great to see Australian Films making its mark up with the big budget releases.

I hope to see more of Whittet's plays adapted to the big screen.

"Girl Asleep" (2015 release from Australia; 77 min.) brings the story of Greta, who is almost 15 yrs. old. As the movie opens, we are informed that it is "First Day, New School" and we see Greta trying to fit in. She is approached by geeky Elliot, who takes an immediate liking to her. After school, we get to know Greta's family (her goofy dd, her controlling mom, and her rebellious older sister). When mom decides that Greta should have a big birthday party, Greta is mortified at first, but then gives in. The day of the birthday party arrives... To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this movie is unlike anything that I have seen in a long time. It's both a coming of age movie as it is a fantasy movie. How so? Because midway into the movie, the movie takes a left, then a right, and then another left and ends up going back-and-forth between the birthday party and Greta's dreams when she nods off during the party. Doesn't make sense to you? No worries, mate! Just go with the flow. There is a long scene during the party where Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" blasts away and the entire group is dancing in unison to the song. Perfect! (The movie is set sometime in the 70s, so this fits in nicely). There are some wonderful performances from this no-start cast, notably Bethany Whitmore in the role of Greta. I noticed in the end credits that the movie is based on a theater play. I can't even imagine what that must've been like, but the movie certainly didn't feel like a staged play. Bottom line: the movie rolls by in no time, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

"Girl Asleep" opened this weekend without any pre-release fanfare or advertising at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. I really didn't know anything about the movie, and simply took a flyer on it. So glad I did. The Friday evening screening where I saw this at was attended so-so, which didn't surprise me, given the lack of marketing or buzz around this film. A darn shame, if you ask me. Sometimes it's nice to be surprised with a movie the likes of which you don't get to see very often. If you are in the mood for something very different that is charming, quirky and funny, I'd readily suggest you seek out this movie, be it in the theater, on Amazon Instant Video, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Girl Asleep" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The first half of the film was wonderful (I'd give it 9 stars)! It was witty, artistic, imaginative, and delt with really world issues. The characters were fresh and complex, and their conflicts and choices were intriguing. However, halfway through it started to loose all of that, except some of the imaginative aspect, but in a style so unlike the rest of the film it's jarring.