This film is corny. If the definition of the phrase 'corny' ever needed to be visually explained or proved, then this movie should be used and showcased, as the front runner of all things 'corny'. From the overly dominant soundtrack, to the exaggerated stereotypes, this cheesy 'dangerous high school meets inspirational teacher' flick can be more than cringe worthy at times.
The acting was generally poor, the dialogue was abysmal, the script was flawed and somewhat unacceptable, and the characters were over the top and unrealistic.
The whole production was one big cliché, and whilst I can respect that this picture was, loosely, based on a true story, the overall presentation was way too generic. The producers and director chose to play it safe with this one, using all the standard ingredients, straight from the recipe book.
The soundtrack was one big overkill. Music should be carefully placed into the mix, to enhance the visual action, and strengthen the emotions. This was not the case here. At times, it almost felt as if the visual aspect came secondary to the music, almost like a fully blown musical. Overly dramatic music was placed in very early scenes and it just didn't fit.
The first half of the movie was absolutely diabolic. I was tempted to switch it off, but was stopped by my strict motto, which is that you have no right to review a film that you have not seen in full. Fortunately, the movie did get better, eventually.
After getting over the initial shock, of being almost sickened by the overly dramatised fairytale/soap opera approach, the plot started to thicken and I found myself slightly more engrossed and actually began warming to some of the characters - To enable this, I had to accept the movie for what for it was, and stop picking at it.
When this feature managed to 'get it right', it provided some touching moments for the viewer. Occasionally, suitable backing music would drop in the right places, with good timing, hence enhancement of the scene.
Surprisingly, by what I'd class as some kind of freak of nature, the movie actually managed to, slightly, win me over.
As the credits rolled, I decided that I had mildly enjoyed the second half of the film, but my grievances were still strong, and the flaws were unforgivable, in my opinion.
I'll give this a generous score of 5/10.
The acting was generally poor, the dialogue was abysmal, the script was flawed and somewhat unacceptable, and the characters were over the top and unrealistic.
The whole production was one big cliché, and whilst I can respect that this picture was, loosely, based on a true story, the overall presentation was way too generic. The producers and director chose to play it safe with this one, using all the standard ingredients, straight from the recipe book.
The soundtrack was one big overkill. Music should be carefully placed into the mix, to enhance the visual action, and strengthen the emotions. This was not the case here. At times, it almost felt as if the visual aspect came secondary to the music, almost like a fully blown musical. Overly dramatic music was placed in very early scenes and it just didn't fit.
The first half of the movie was absolutely diabolic. I was tempted to switch it off, but was stopped by my strict motto, which is that you have no right to review a film that you have not seen in full. Fortunately, the movie did get better, eventually.
After getting over the initial shock, of being almost sickened by the overly dramatised fairytale/soap opera approach, the plot started to thicken and I found myself slightly more engrossed and actually began warming to some of the characters - To enable this, I had to accept the movie for what for it was, and stop picking at it.
When this feature managed to 'get it right', it provided some touching moments for the viewer. Occasionally, suitable backing music would drop in the right places, with good timing, hence enhancement of the scene.
Surprisingly, by what I'd class as some kind of freak of nature, the movie actually managed to, slightly, win me over.
As the credits rolled, I decided that I had mildly enjoyed the second half of the film, but my grievances were still strong, and the flaws were unforgivable, in my opinion.
I'll give this a generous score of 5/10.